The Green Flash 2
by Flaming-Piano
Summary: The sequel to "The Green Flash" crossover extravaganza! An alien invasion in Gravity Falls leads into a harrowing struggle for the fate of friends to both Universes. Once connected, it seems some worlds are impossible to separate.
1. Chapter 1

**THE GREEN FLASH 2**

 **A Gravity Falls/Steven Universe Crossover story**

 **This story is a sequel to the original "The Green Flash," published here as well. It assumes readers have read that story, kept up with Steven Universe up to Season Two, Episode 78 ("Log Date 7 15 2") and Gravity Falls Season 2, Episode 35 (** **"The Last Mabelcorn") and takes place right after the events of these episodes.**

 _"That is the space that I'm interested in, the in-between space… To activate that space. To activate means to fill it with meaning and connections so that we can think about it. We can connect with it and make it happen as a space and time in between things."_

 _-Orozco, "Games," par. 2_

 **CHAPTER 1**

Dipper Pines held a hand to his chin, examining the large flickering screen in front of him. The low electrical hum of the analog equipment seemed to perfectly capture the internal tension within the young Pines. He gnawed relentlessly on the cap of a pen, studying the blown-up pixels of the enhanced camera phone photo.

Marred by grain and digital artifacts, the image displayed the edge of Gravity Falls forest at night. Partially obscured by tree trunks was an unmistakable humanoid figure; cranking up the saturation had revealed the figure to be a pale greenish color. By human standards the proportions were off; the head much too large for the body.

Could it really be…

 _An alien?_

 _Snap!_ Dipper grunted in surprise as he popped the cap off his pen.

"Gotta stop doing that…" He grumbled, just as his companion walked back into the room.

"It's ok, we've got plenty more of those." Dipper brightened at the voice of his Great Uncle Standford Pines. While Ford had graying hair, square shoulders, and a somewhat imposing demeanor, he and adolescent Dipper still bore an uncanny family resemblance.

"Alright, this should have the rest of the photos… uhhh…" Ford held up the USB drive and examined it with some embarrassment. "I actually don't know how to use this."

Dipper's heart soared at the chance to help. "It's ok! I'll show you! You just…"

Dipper interested the drive into the computers expansion slot, and navigated the files as efficiently as he could. He felt a constant pressure to prove himself to Ford, the person who wrote the journals, the person who invented a portal to another universe, and the _only_ person who might really know about aliens.

As Dipper scrolled through the images, a sense of disappointment slowly dawned on him.

"Why are they all so blurry?! How did they manage to miss its face in like, EVERY single photo? And how high IS this ISO?" Dipper grumbled.

"Hmmm… perhaps it emits some kind of signal that disrupts technology." Ford surmised. "Just because it looks vaguely terrestrial doesn't mean it will behave like a terrestrial organism."

"Or maybe nobody in this town knows how to snap a photo." Dipper rubbed the back of his head anxiously. "I'm sorry if this is just a hoax…"

After a few unproductive hours of staring, studying, and researching, both Pines failed to come up with any concrete ideas about the images. Taken by residents all over Gravity Falls, the "alien" had become something of a local legend overnight. Lazy Susan claimed it asked her for directions, Wendy and her gang of friends had nearly run the thing over, Old Man McGucket complained it had run off with some his… possessions.

"I just don't know, Dipper…" Ford said, arms crossed. "Where could it have COME from? That's what concerns me."

Dipper watched Ford's eyes glance nervously towards where he had stored his interdimensional rift, it's immense power currently contained.

"Do you think this has anything to do with your Beach City universe?"

Dipper swallowed.

The truth was that Ford wasn't the only one to have crossed into another Universe and returned. Dipper was also an interdimensional traveler. He and Mabel had even, against Dipper's better judgment, kept an open channel of communication with this other Universe. They had memories and friends on the other side of the Green Flash.

While he and his sister hadn't opened their personal portal since Ford had arrived back in Gravity Falls, Dipper still felt hot whenever he remembered those pastel beaches, the smell of the open ocean. His interdimensional travels had given him a deeper connection with Ford, but he and Mabel had kept their personal portal a secret. They used dust from the monster that had started the whole affair to maintain connections with Beach City, and kept it under wraps for fear the adults would put a stop to it.

So much had happened since then. So much had changed. And yet… it still felt like this crazy summer should never end.

"Well, uh, I'm gonna go to bed then…" Dipper said awkwardly to Ford, who was glancing back and forth between his notes and the screen.

"Goodnight kid. Hopefully I'll have something figured out by tomorrow morning."

Dipper followed his pre-bedtime routine without interruption. Pajamas on, he shuffled off to his room where Mabel was waiting. She was scribbling excitedly in a notebook; probably working on her Crystal Gem story… fan fiction, really.

"Dipper! Check out my newest chapter: "The Power of Love: Amethyst's Secret."

"Maybe tomorrow…" Dipper muttered, climbing into bed and fixating on the ceiling.

How was Steven doing? What about Connie, and the Crystal Gems? In his mind Beach City never seemed to change; it was an immortal place where the sands of time never shifted. But Dipper hadn't talked to Steven in… weeks…. Weeks? Months?

"I've written a dozen chapters since we've last seen Dipper and Connie…" Mabel said, sounding uncharacteristically solemn. "Without Steven's incredible design direction, I wonder if my story is getting stale…" She lowered her voice. "We should go see them soon!"

"I know…" Dipper muttered. "I miss them too. But I think we should figure out this whole "town alien" thing first."

Mable clicker her tongue dismissively and rolled unto her side, away from Dipper.

"There's always SOMETHING. Ever since Ford came back he's the only one you wanna hang out with."

"Mabel!" Dipper hissed angrily. "That- that isn't true! I-"

Mabel grabbed her pillow and wrapped it around her head.

Dipper slumped into his bed, a new wave of anxiety chasing away his sleepiness.

Clutter on the desk between he and Mabel's bed was illuminated by soft rays of moonlight. A plastic figure stood on a chapter book: "Unfamiliar Familiar: Book One."

Dipper reached out and grabbed the toy, turning the little "G.U.Y" over to read the handwritten initials on the feet: DP.

Steven had written that. He'd written Dipper's own initials on the gift he'd given him. Steven had a matching figure back in his own Universe. It was a strange thought, but it had a warm feeling, this connection to another reality.

Dipper gave a long sigh. Maybe his sister was right. Dipper had passed up two scheduled meetings with their Beach City friends after Ford had arrived; that added up to three if you counted the one they missed because of the portal craziness.

"I wonder if they think I don't want to be friends anymore…" Dipper muttered, suddenly feeling miserable. Dipper had been ecstatic to tell Steven all about the journals author, but he could never find time to slip away and open that portal.

Every second he spent with Ford felt so essential, he had so far found it easy to brush off most of his other concerns. He had already learned so much… including how to really trust his other uncle.

But Dipper still didn't feel ready to trust Ford with the secret of those friends in another universe. How could he possibly convince Ford to regularly let him open what was, beyond a doubt, an interdimensional portal that carried obvious and documented risks? He could hear his own voice echoing in his head, "But they're my friends…!" The Dipper in his brain sounded painfully immature, and he hated it.

He jolted back to reality as rain suddenly pattered against the window. A storm had crept up on the Mystery Shack, and the sound of trickling water made Dipper aware of a biological urgency.

The sound of raindrops chased him to the bathroom, where he relived himself.

Just as Dipper flushed the toilet, a distant bolt of lightning illuminated the room through the square window in the musty bathroom.

A cold sensation began to creep into Dipper's body as he let the sink water rush over his soapy hands. He blinked in confusion as water misted the right side of his face, gasping as he turned to face the window-

It was open.

Dipper could literally feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, the sound of the running faucet louder than thunder. The shower curtain was closed… and there, glaringly unusual, was a shadow behind it.

Dipper bit his lip and slowed his breathing. It was just bath toys Mabel left in there. Huge, vaguely triangular bath toys.

Something kept him from turning tail and running out the door, and so Dipper stood paralyzed, wishing that Mabel or Stan would stumble to his rescue. Mindlessly he snatched up a toothbrush, gripping it like a sword. He could do this.

Slowly he gripped the edge of the shower curtain, fingers almost numb. His awareness seemed to eclipse all of his five senses; he just KNEW that a living creature was behind this veil.

With an involuntary squeak, he pulled the curtain aside.

"EEEP!"

There was a resounding THUD as the thing in the bathtub smacked its head on the tub's faucet, effectively ending what might have been a swift escape.

Choking on a yell, Dipper stumbled back, swinging the toothbrush reflexively. Lying in he and Mabel's bathtub was a humanoid figure of a pale greenish hue, with an oversized head that it was clutching in pain.

"Ooooowww…" it hissed, glaring at Dipper from behind some kind of visor on its face.

"W-what are you doing in here?!" Dipper stuttered, voice cracking.

The alien slowly got to its feet, eyes darting between Dipper and the opened window. It sneered at Dipper's toothbrush.

"You stupid CLOD, I know that's not a weapon!" The alien spoke in perfect English, albeit rude English.

For a moment Dipper, the alien, and the window held a tense staring contest.

"rrrGGGHHH!"

Suddenly the alien lashed out in frustration, snatching the toothbrush from Dipper and tossing it at his head, effectively beaning him right on the temple. As Dipper recovered from the blow, the creature leapt out the window in a green flash.

"No, wait!" Dipper called, missing the alien's foot by a hair.

He heard scuffling, followed by a distant thud and low moan from below the window.

"DIPPER!" Light flooded the room as Stan rushed in, his voice edged with fear. Mabel wasn't far behind him.

"Are you ok?" Mabel said in confusion, rubbing sleep out or her eyes. "Were you arguing with yourself in the bathroom again-"

"No! The _alien!"_

 _"_ It was right… right here! It jumped out the window! Let's go after it!" The words rushed out of Dipper's mouth as he gestured frantically.

His sleepy family stared at him for a second, but just then Ford joined the party.

"Did you just say alien?!" Ford said. "Was it HERE?"

There was…

"No time to explain. C'mon!" Dipper rushed towards the stairs, his companions following with varying levels of enthusiasm.

Dipper exploded into the chilly nighttime rain, his socks squishing into the wet earth. He raced around the Mystery Shack to where the alien must have fallen…

There it was!

Dipper watched as the green figure spotted them, paused, and then bolted into the darkness of the woods.

"Darn!" he pouted, but heard the buzz of an engine behind him.

"Get in! Let's go after it!" Ford drove the Mystery Kart right up to Dipper, spraying him with mud. Dipper scrambled into the kart, losing one of his socks. As they pulled away from the Shack, Dipper watched Stan and Mabel recede into the distance.

"Good luck! We'll keep looking around here!" Mabel called, and he waved to her, screaming over the growing torrent of water.

"THANKS!" Dipper called.

They lurched through the forest, the dim beams of the kart illuminating narrowly dodged trees. Driving rain needled Dipper's face, and he could barely see his own hands, much less one single alien in a forest.

 **SLAM.**

The steady grip of Ford's lurching arm was all that kept Dipper from flying into the night as their vehicle struck something solid. The kart lurched to a halt. For a moment, the two of them caught their breath as the rain pattered on the kart's roof.

"Did we… hit it?" Dipper ventured, straining his eyes as he probed the incomprehensible darkness of the rainy night.

Ford grunted and made a three point turn, aiming the karts lights back towards the Mystery Shack.

They both gasped. The alien was leaning on one arm, trying to prop itself up. Dipper was transfixed by its huge eyes as it glared up at them.

He recognized the unmistakable flush of pain on the creatures face. What had they just done?

"We hurt it." Dipper said flatly, feeling a twinge of empathetic guilt.

The kart swayed as Ford stepped out of it.

The alien collapsed face first into the mud, and then with slight poof, vanished.

"No!" Ford cried, rushing forward. Dipper leapt out of the kart and followed him. The two of them stood over a rapidly vanishing indent in the mud.

"Did we… or did it just… teleport?" Ford frantically tried to rub water off his glasses.

"Wait…" Dipper muttered, catching a small gleam of light in the mud as a crack of lightning shuddered across the sky. As quickly as he could, Dipper plunged his hand into the wet sludge and closed his fingers around something.

He opened his hand slowly, allowing rain to chase away the dirt. In his palm was a small, multi-faceted green gem.

"Fascinating." Ford said, leaning close to get a better look. Dipper's body shook from the cold.

"You can hold unto that," Ford said, clasping a hand to his shoulder as they headed back to the kart. "We'll study it in the lab when we get back!"

Dipper nodded absentmindly. He gently traced the edge of the stone with his fingers, heart pounding louder than the rain.

He couldn't wait to share this with Mabel. And Steven and Connie, too.


	2. Chapter 2

Warm from a hot shower, Dipper raced down into Ford's lab.

The dark room came alive with a green glow from the text on Ford's old monitors. Sitting squarely on a platform in front of the biggest screen was the precious gem they had found, encased in a machine as it was scanned relentlessly by a series of lasers.

"Whooooaaaa!" Dipper breathed, watching complex data rush across the display.

"What is this?"

Ford was crouching by the printer as it spat out sheets of paper. "I'm using a system that combines sonic and infrared technology to identify the sub-atomic structure of this stone…"

Ford continued to detail his process as Dipper brought his face closer to the gem.

"Watch it!" Ford said out suddenly, grabbing Dippers shoulder and pulling him back. "There's an escape proof anti-radiation force field around that thing. You'll get a nasty shock if you touch it."

"G-good to know." Dipper squeaked.

"Sorry, shoulda warned you." Ford said, his face outlined by the otherworldly green light. "It's just so fascinating… while this gem is built from all the same basic materials as the rest of our universe, it is without a doubt NOT terrestrial in origin! But I think it might contain DNA! Conscious, self-aware inorganic life with properties of organic life!"

Ford held open his arms, as if holding out his discovery to the world. Dipper felt his great uncle's zeal as if it were his own. They really had captured an alien.

Although, Dipper had meet a few aliens already.

 _Conscious, self-aware inorganic life with properties of organic life._

"Hey…" Dipper began. "Is it getting… brighter?"

Dipper watched with paralyzed awe as the gem began to float into the air, afire with a painfully bright glow. Ford rushed over and pushed some dials to turn off the lasers.

And there it was, huddled in the center of the platform. Small. Green. Angry.

Now that he could get a better at it, the alien's head was just a massive angular poof of hair. It was rather short and unimposing, with that tiny body.

"AGH!" Dipper and Ford jerked backwards as the alien tried to leap off the platform and escape, only to electrocute its entire body with a loud crack. The force of the blast knocked it into the other side of the field, finally landing it right back where it started.

"Holy CRAP…" Dipper muttered, clutching his chest as the alien laid still. Its ragged breathing was louder than the hum of the force field.

"What did I ever do to you clods?!" The alien cried, voice tight with pain. It scanned the room in panic, eyes wide with terror.

"W-what are you gonna do to me?!" It shrunk down, wrapping its hands around its knees. "No no no no no this can't be happening…"

"Hello. It's ok. We're not going to hurt you. We just want to _study_ you." Ford said calmly, holding out his hands as far as he could without getting zapped.

"It speaks English?!" He hissed to Dipper.

"Y-yeah, we didn't know that you were that gem…?" Dipper tried to speak to the alien. "The gem, I mean… the… gemm…"

Dipper's voice trailed off as gears whirled and clicked in his mind. He found himself getting lost in the stone on the alien's head; right above its terrified glare… he'd meet life forms with very much the same configuration…

But it COULDN'T be?! Here?! It wasn't possible! Dipper's heart was racing.

"Dipper? Is everything ok?" Ford was asking.

"N-no, it's just… wow, it speaks English?!" Dipper stammered unconvincingly.

 _It speaks English, but it's not from Earth._

Dipper locked eyes with the alien. It spoke English. He could just ask it if it- or perhaps, her- if she was a crystal gem. It would be easy.

"Dipper..." Ford had his hand to his chin, eyes lost in a thoughtful haze. "Do you think-"

Suddenly Dipper heard a small gasp behind him. He turned around to face his sister, standing in the doorway in her pajamas. She let her unicorn stuffed animal slip to the floor as she gave into astonishment.

"It's…" her mouth hung open. "SO CUTE!"

Dipper rushed to stop her, holding her back just before she collided with the force field.

"Stay back, Mabel." Ford warned. "The force field is live. And we still don't know how dangerous our guest is."

The alien was ignoring them. It had torn off one of the laser pointers, and swatted at the force field. A huge spark exploded in its face, causing it to cower again.

"It's very resourceful." Ford sounded impressed.

"Awww she looks terrified!" Mabel wailed. "She won't hurt nobody! Let her out! You're being mean, Dipper."

Mabel gave him a judgmental stare.

Dipper couldn't handle being pulled in so many directions at once.

Ford sighed. "Mabel, you know better. This is extraterrestrial phenomenon we're dealing with her, not some cat we found in the rain. MABEL!"

"How do you shut this thing off?!"

Fords voice rose into a yell as Mabel began to fiddle randomly with the dials on the control panel. There was a heated electric sequel, some flashing lights, and the force field popped off.

The alien leaned forward, like a cautious squirrel. She pawed the space in front of her, smiling.

"Hehe!" She cried, bolting for the doorway. "Thanks!"

"No you DON'T!" Ford reached the door in a single stride as Dipper played goalie to the escaped alien, who snaked around him a moment too late.

Growling in frustration, the creature bounded behind Mabel. It cowered, gripping Mabel's arms and glaring at the Pines like an angry green toddler.

"SEE?!" Mabel announced, patting the alien on its fluffy head. "She's NOT dangerous."

"That's right! You should be ashamed." The alien stuck out a purplish tongue, pulling down one eyelid and jeering at its captors.

Dipper gasped and pointed. "It's… so RUDE!"

Huffing, the creature leaned around Mabel and pointed back. "YOU'RE rude! You ran me over with your vehicle! You shot LASERS… INTO me! I bet you're gonna harvest me, or WORSE!"

Mabel placed her hand on the aliens shoulder. "We're not gonna hurt you! We should be friends. My name's Mabel!"

Dipper and Ford exchanged glances of disbelief.

The alien took a deep breath.

"If I agree to your request… promise you won't… _study_ … me? Maybe you'll let me go?" It said carefully, studying Mabel's face.

"Mabel, no!" Ford hissed.

"I never wanted to study you in the first place!" Mabel declared. "I could never bring harm to something so cute."

The alien seemed to… blush? At the very least, it turned a darker shade of green.

"No i'm not... oh, whatever!" The alien shook her head.

"Peridot." She tentatively reached out her hand to Mabel. "Peridot, Facet-2-F-5-L, Cut-5-X-G."

"Now that's a name." Dipper muttered under his breath. Perhaps this WASN'T a crystal gem. Peridot, Facet-2-F-5-L, Cut-5-X-G seemed about as far removed from those independent warrior woman as possible.

"O-Or, you know, Peridot of the Crystal Gems, haha," Her face lite up with manic emotion and she shook Mabel's hand, "…whatever is easiest for you clods, I don't care. I'm on a mission. I really don't have time for this."

 _Peridot of the Crystal Gems_

Dipper's ears rang. Mabel's eye widened in slow motion, her mouth forming into a huge "O."

"Peridot! That's a precious gem here on Earth. Yellowish green, just like it's body…" At the sound of Ford's voice, time regained its normal flow.

"You're a CRYSTAL GEM, from Beach City?!" Ford asked the question right before Dipper could.

Peridot blinked multiple times. Mabel gave a delighted gasp.

"Y-you KNOW about the crystal gems and beach city?!" She wheezed. "Wait a minute… you really ARE "The Pines!?"

"Amazing! AMAZING!" Ford stood up and began to pace. His enthusiasm practically generated its own heat. "Dipper has visited your home universe before! But you didn't meet him? Dipper told me tales about how powerful your race is…"

Now it was Peridot's turn to look flabbergasted.

"Dipper…" She said, pointing right at the boy in question. Her eyes seemed to probe into his soul. "You're… Dipper Pines?"

Dipper nodded dumbly. "Did Steven tell you about me?"

"YOU'RE A CRYSTAL GEM?!" Mabel grabbed Peridot's hands and interrupted Dipper, jumping up and down. "A real crystal gem!"

Peridot looked startled, but then lapsed into enthusiasm.

"Hehehe, I know, right?! ME, a crystal gem?! It's crazy! Completely insane! I'm COMPLETELY insane!"

Dipper silently hoped she wasn't being totally serious about that.

"And you're GREEN! I TOLD Dipper... I TOLD him. They have gems for every color of the rainbow!"

"Actually, no, they don't?" Peridot replied plainly.

Right then, the room's door slid open and there stood Stan, a cooking mitt on one hand. He smelled faintly of bacon.

"Ummm… am I interrupting something... whAT IS THAT?!" Stan jumped back and pointed to Peridot with his mitt. "The ALIEN?"

"No, Stan, this is Peridot!" Mabel announced. "And she's a crystal gem!"

* * *

Dipper's family was having breakfast with an alien.

Peridot was sitting squarely across from Dipper at the table, regarding bacon, eggs and pancakes with a mixture of curiosity and disgust. She clutched a cup of coffee Stan had offered her, occasionally dipping a finger into the hot liquid. Warm morning light filled the cluttered kitchen.

"Uhhhh… are you… gonna drink that?" Stan asked, gesturing to the coffee.

"I… don't know what to do with this." Peridot replied curtly. "It is a beverage… but it's too still hot to be safe for consumption."

"No, silly, its supposed to be hot! Cuz you drink it and BAM! It wakes you up! Just like Mable Juice, but with a disgusting taste!" Mabel smiled.

Dipper hadn't spent THAT much time with the Crystal Gems, but he doubted that Garnet, Amythest, or Pearl would have been at a loss over what coffee was. Peridot seemed… completely different.

Ford, who had been observing this whole time, finally exploded into inquiry.

"Amazing!" He declared. "So you don't need to drink or eat? You're not organic, but you assume an organic form in order to interface with the physical world…"

Peridot glowered at Ford, and then threw back the entire mug of coffee in one shot. She slammed the mug down and swallowed, looking vaguely horrified but intrigued.

"WOW!" She blinked. "May I have… another one of those?

There was an awkward pause as the humans gawked in confusion.

"Please." Peridot added.

Stan held up his hands. "Ya know what, I think we're… out…" But before he could finish Mabel was up and rushing about, yelling, "I'll get some!"

Peridot snatched up Mabel's orange juice and took a haphazard sip, pulling away. "It's so different," she muttered, leaning down and studying the orange liquid.

"Are you… ok?" Dipper asked, voice pitched to a high note.

"Hmm?" Peridot widened her eyes. "No!"

"Can I have that?" She gestured towards his milk, shifting her demeanor with disturbing speed. Dipper lifted his hands and gave bewildered nod. Peridot snatched it up sipped it, growing herself a milk mustache in the process.

"Why are you here?" Ford finally asked the question aloud they all had been wondering in their heads.

Peridot stared at him, her milk mustache obliterating the seriousness of the scene.

Peridot cleared her throat. "I'm here…" She whipped around to face Dipper, who shrank away.

Mabel was giggling fiercely.

"WHAT is wrong with you?" Peridot wailed, and Mabel bust into laughter as Peridot made a huge angry frown below her mustache.

Mabel mimed whipping her face, a motion that Peridot slowly mimicked.

"Why are you here? Get back to the p-point!" Dipper snapped, trying to not join in on the laughter. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ford nod approvingly.

"Oh. Yes. Of Course. Ahem!" She stood up, pointing straight at Dipper.

"I am here for Dipper Pines!"

"What?" Dipper stammered.

The whole table stared at Dipper, who nearly melted under the heat of all those curious eyes. His vision tunneled.

"Steven of the Crystal Gems has requested your presence in Beach City!" Peridot announced, her tone oddly formal. "M-more precisely, he uh... he needs your help. I need you to come to Beach City. A-and help Steven."

Peridot was faltering, her official demeanor falling away.

Ford slammed his palm of the table, sending Peridot into the air with a squeak.

"You expect Dipper to follow you into another UNIVERSE, just on your word? Dipper, do you even know this gem? You said there were only three of them."

Dipper shook his head. "No, I mean also yes, but…"

Peridot was couching like a frightened cat. No one said a word. Dipper's mind was swaying with confusion. Mabel was staring at Dipper, mouth agape.

"Wait." Peridot jolted in an alert position.

"Do you hear that?"

The whole group strained their ears. A distant scrapping noise was floating up through the window.

"Oh, that." Stan said. "Probably those raccoons getting under the porch again. I hope it isn't those weird blonde dudes…"

Peridot squared her shoulders. "The porch… you mean, underneath this dwelling?"

Before Stan could even finish nodding, Peridot pushed past the Pines and bolted out the open window.

"What's eating her?" Stan said indignantly.

"Let's follow her." Ford replied grimly.

Ford, Dipper, and Mabel headed out the door and found Peridot crouching next to the porch.

"Oh no no no no no… it should be right here… please be right here… why did leave it for so long?"

Dipper and company watched Peridot squeeze under some uneven boards that supported the Mystery Shack. Ford rushed to grab her, but Mabel stopped him.

"Stop! Let's see where she goes!" Mabel pleaded.

"She's been LIVING under our house?!" Stan bellowed, stomping out to join them.

"AGH! Where is it?! Did another life form get down here?" Peridot's agitated voice echoed from a hidden nook in the Shack's foundation.

She forced her way back to surface, dirt clotting in her hair. "Where is my dust?" She squealed. "It was RIGHT THERE, with all my other supplies… Oh no no no no no… NO!" Suddenly Peridot's eye's grew round, and she pointed behind the Pines.

Dipper followed her finger, and there, some green dust dangling from his whiskery chin, was Gompers the goat.

"AHHHH!" Peridot pushed past Dipper and lunged for the goat.

"YOU ATE MY PORTAL DUST!" Gompers gave a distressed bleat and scampered away far faster than the any of them could run, expertly dodging a tackle from Stan. He vanished into the forest, Peridot landing on her face as she leapt into open air.

"I-it can't be…" Peridot crouched and pawed the earth where some of the green sprinkles had dribbled from the animals mouth. "It- it can't… that was all I had, that was my ONLY way back… ah…"

Peridot slumped to the ground in the fetal position.

"I'm stuck here." She was whispering. "I'm stuck on this alternate Earth. I'm stuck here forever. I was so STUPID to think I could hide it there…"

"Hey, it's okaaay… Gompers doesn't know any better." Mabel got to her knees and gently rubbed Peridots back. "It'll be ok, I promise. We… uh…"

Dipper was glaring at his sister. The twins had plenty of moth dust. Peridot definitely wasn't stuck in Gravity Falls. But they couldn't say anything in front of the adults without jeopardizing their whole operation…

Or could they? If things got dangerous…

Peridot had become unresponsive, but Dipper could still make out her voice as she mumbled into the dirt.

"Steven… I failed… i'm sorry…"

"Maybe…" Dipper began, the urge to unload his secrets straining at his lips. Was it true that Steven was in trouble?

Ford was mumbling under his breath.

"Peridot, listen." Ford stepped forward.

"I am… _very_ experienced in inter-dimensional travel. There may very well be a way for you to return home… safely. In the meantime…"

Stan glared at his brother. "I don't like where this is going…"

"Oh, please, please, Stan!" Mabel cried, eyes brimming with hope. "Let her stay! She's harmless! Look!"

Dipper had to agree. The green gem really did look defeated. He could certainly empathize… once he had been lost on strange beach. Hurt with entire dimensions separating him from his family. His only way back, vanished.

Dipper took a rapid breath.

"The gems gave me a home when I got stuck in Beach City. T-they didn't really trust me, either, but I woulda been toast without their help. If Peridot is really a crystal gem…"

He swayed as Mabel tackled him with a hug. "See? Dipper agrees with me!"

"Wait, Mabel, ugh! I still don't think we should trust her! I just don't think we should dump her!"

The older pair of Pines twins had broken off and spoke to each other in hushed tones. Mabel tended to Peridot, who continued to huddle on the ground. Dipper waited in anticipation.

"Alright." Stan finally spoke.

"She can stay until we figure out what is _really_ going on here." Ford announced.

Dipper heaved a sigh as Mabel gave a cry of joy. "Oh, thank you, thank you Stan and Ford! You really DO have kindness in your gruff hearts!"

"She can live in the closet for now." Stan crossed his arms. "Hey, it'll be the first actual freak to live in the famous Mystery Shack! Hmmm…" Stan's eyes shifted across Peridot's alien body.

"You hear that? You can stay with us!" Mabel said softly, running a hand through Peridot's hair.

Dipper felt Ford standing behind him.

He turned around, not sure what to say. An unusual wind ruffled the trees behind him.

"I understand how she feels too, Dipper." Ford sighed. "But you know why we _have_ to be careful? Her entire story could be a fabrication! This whole helplessness act could be just that… an act."

Dipper started to nod, slowly at first, but then with enthusiasm.

"I get it. But what if she's telling the TRUTH? If Steven is really in danger…" Dipper shuffled his feet, chest feeling hollow. "We just need to talk to her more."

"I agree." Ford confirmed. "In the meantime, we have to learn more before we choose to act."


	3. Chapter 3

Dipper trotted down the hall, a steaming cup of coffee in his hands. The musty closest door was cracked open, and he could hear Mabel's hushed voice behind it.

Dipper gently knocked on the door.

"Who'sat?" It was Mabel.

"It's Dipper." He answered, tapping his foot. This was ridiculous.

The door creaked open, moldy smell of the closet smacking him in the nose.

Mabel sat with Peridot in the center of the closet, backed up against a stack of board games. An unfinished game of "What could Possibly Go Wrong?" lay scattered in front of them.

Peridot had her arms wrapped around her knees, staring forward blankly.

Awkwardly, Dipper set the coffee mug next to her, not daring to court rejection by offering it. Peridot scarcely seemed to notice him enter. He sat next to Mabel, who, despite her best efforts, was echoing Peridot's depressed demeanor.

Dipper coughed. "U-uh… Peridot… a-about Steven…"

"STEVEN!" Peridot blubbered. "Ugh, don't talk about him! D-don't talk! Just leave me alone!"

She grabbed the mug and turned to face the corner, throwing it back wrathfully, but then descending into a slow, melancholy sip. Dipper now noticed that she was wearing one of Mabel's sweaters; bright green with a huge yellow star on the front.

Slowly sipping her coffee in the shadow of a broom, she had the sense of a cold, dreary day. It was utterly pathetic.

Suddenly, Mabel grabbed his wrist and hauled him out of the closet.

"Let's go to bed." She huffed, but then winked. Dipper nodded knowingly.

The two of them gathered in their moonlit room, the air sharp with tension.

"mmmmmMMMMMMMM Dipper wehaftadosomething!" Mabel exploded. "'I've never seen anything so SAD! Nothing I do can cheer her up. She's like the saddest, greenest, smallest triangular kitten in the world!"

Mabel pouted, then reached for underneath Dipper's bed.

For the moth dust.

"Wait! I agree with you, sort of, but only one of us should go." Dipper set a hand on his sister's shoulder, trying to slow her down.

"Whattaya mean?" Mabel sounded confused. "Shouldn't both of us go WITH Peridot?"

Dipper leaned back. "THAT'S what you wanna do? No, Mabel…" He smacked a hand to his forehead.

"Haven't you been paying attention? We can just check to see if Steven is okay. We can figure out if Peridot is telling the truth!"

Mabel studied his face carefully.

"And if Steven really DID ask to see me, well then, he can see me! But this way, we can find out if it's a trap, or whatever. All on our OWN."

Mabel was shaking her head, ducking under Dipper's bed and rummaging about.

"Why would she lie? Ford's rubbed off on you."

Dipper felt a rush of anger. "Why WOULDN'T she lie! It only makes SENSE!"

Mabel surfaced, a bag of glittering green swaying from her hand.

"What's so wrong about trusting your heart?" Mabel puffed. "You want to help Peridot too! Stop pretending!"

"URGH! Fine!"

"But let's do this my way. We check in on Steven, and go from there. We don't involve Peridot at all."

Mabel growled with frustration for a moment, then nodded curtly. "Fine. Either way, we can find out if Steven is ok."

Dipper gathered up the other supplies they needed; the paper, matches, some nails, the hair spray. Mabel was giving him the silent treatment.

 _Fine. This will make it easier for nobody else in the house to notice while we sneak outside._

The twins slunk out the back door, the cool forest air pricking Dipper's skin. Stars shone in the dark night sky. Dipper tried to imagine the softer skies of Steven's universe.

As the cycles of both universes were synced up, Steven should be asleep in bed, right now… so long as he wasn't in danger.

"We're using the bedroom portal, right?" Mabel whispered.

"It's the best choice." Dipper replied. "Nobodies gonna be on the beach at this hour."

They trudged slowly up rather steep hill, the gurgle of a stream nearby. A quite knoll near a tiny waterfall, for whatever reason, corresponded to Steven's room in the Pine's universe.

Dipper nailed a sheet of canvas paper to a nearby tree, just large enough to make a kid-sized portal. He held the hair spray in his hand.

"Ready?" He asked Mabel. This part never failed to make him nervous.

"Ready." Mabel answered, equally serious.

Dipper held his breath and sprayed the paper, jumping back as Mabel tossed a poof of moth dust unto the wet paper. Grimacing, Dipper flicked the match and lit it, throwing it into the center of the paper.

A brilliant circle of green flame devoured the drying stain, leaving a ragged portal into another universe floating on the surface of a pine tree.

It had been a risky choice for a portal location, but Steven's gem family left so often for missions that it had actually worked out fine the one time they had used it.

The portal faced Steven's bed, enveloped by a navy darkness. Dipper and Mabel exchanged a nervous glance. Was that lump in Steven's bed the boy in question… or just one of his many stuffed animals?

Cautiously, Dipper approached the portal.

"Steven?" He hissed softly, feeling sweat bead on his forehead.

Dipper strained his neck to get a better look, but he couldn't see farther into the room without shoving his whole body through...

Mabel pushed him aside and shoved her head through the portal.

"HEY!" Dipper hissed. "No limbs in the portal! Get that outta there!"

Instinctively, Dipper pulled his sister's vulnerable cranium back to the safety of her own universe.

"I saw him!" She cried.

"Dipper?"

The twins gave a synchronized gasp at this new voice.

"Steven?!" The both cried in unison.

"And Mabel, too? W-what are you two doing here?" Steven sounded groggy.

Steven Universe stood in the mouth of the portal, wearing striped blue pajamas and rubbing his eyes.

Dipper felt relief brighter than any of the stars in the sky.

"You're ok?"

"Thank goodness!" Mabel gushed. "We thought you might not be! Do we ever have some stories, let me tell you!"

Dipper nodded, suddenly recalling how they had blown off three scheduled meetings with their Beach City companions.

"S-Steven, I'm sorry for missing those meetings, it's been crazy over here…" He said.

Steven was shuffling closer to the portal. He held Dipper's gaze, and his eyes seemed unusually intense.

"Dipper…" Steven said. He held a hand through the portal, reaching across dimensions.

"H-hey, you know what I say about that!" Dipper laughed, breaking his own rule and wrapping his hand around his friends through the portal.

"GASP! Dipper!" Mabel feigned shock.

But real worry was starting to close around Dipper's mind. Steven's blank expression was morphing into a glare.

A strange tingling was spreading through his hand, but he held Steven's gaze as a soft light began to glow between them. He tugged backwards, but his hand was frozen to Stevens.

Only it wasn't Steven.

The boy's face was split open by a manic smile, his eyes widening as the pupils contracted into slits.

Standing across from Dipper, feet firmly planted in Beach City, was Steven Universe.

But it was also Bill Cipher.

Dipper felt his heart convulse, rage and terror silencing any shred of reason Dipper tried to listen for.

"IT'S BEEN PRETTY CRAZY OVER HERE TOO"

Bill laughed, a violently harsh noise.

Dipper felt Mabel tugging at his body, but he was growing distant. His body felt like it was dissolving, replaced by liquid terror.

"GUESS I DIDN'T NEED HELP FROM LITTLE GREEN CORNCHIP AFTER ALL!"

Dipper _felt_ something slide into his mind. He was forced to relive all kinds of memories, but they came too fast, glowed too bright, made no sound. Dipper meeting Steven, facing the crystal gems, fighting the big green moth, and then…

The nothing space. A horrifying void where he almost forgot to exist. Nameless. Gone.

"ANNNNNNDDD… GOT IT! THANKS, PINE TREE. GLAD TO BE RID OF THIS BODY!"

Dipper felt himself fall back.

He saw the sky, but it was white, and the stars flickered black.

"OH, AND THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES"

Through a haze of confusion, Dipper glimpsed a flash of yellow, heard that frenzied laughter.

He saw the sky. It was dark, and the stars pulsed with a fierce white glow.

 _Trust no one._


	4. Chapter 4

**_A few hours earlier…_**

"You've got plenty of leftover macaroni in the fridge. Don't forget to lock the door, and be sure to turn off those video games so you can get some sleep…"

Steven Universe watched as his body sighed in frustration as Pearl lectured it, the pale gem standing primly in front of the warp pad. Garnet stood next to her, arms crossed.

"But…" He watched the impostor Steven whined expertly, stepping forward. "I wanna keep looking!"

The sprit of Steven Universe, disconnected from his own body, floated above the scene.

"Guys..." He muttered, once again. "It's not me... it's not me...! Why can't you see through him!?"

Steven had never felt so helpless.

They couldn't see him.

They couldn't hear him.

They couldn't touch him.

He was alone, stuck between reality and the other side of nothing.

"Steven…" Pearl offered the fake Steven a sympathetic sigh. "You've been awake for over 24 hours. I know how badly you want to find Peridot, but you your human body needs to sleep. We have to draw the line somewhere… according to the your father, that's _severe_ sleep deprivation!"

"I _know_ , but…"

Amethyst gently slapped the fake Steven on his back, strolling up next to Pearl.

"Chill out, Steven. Little dudes gotta get their rest. We'll find P-dot."

"I still don't understand why she would disappear like this." Fake Steven said, repeating himself. "I…" He sniffed, water well up in the corners of his eyes.

"ARRGGGH!"

Real Steven trashed in mid air, brought to the very edge of frustration.

"You're good! But that's not quite good enough! They'll figure you out!"

He watched as Garnet lowered herself to talk with his body face to face, gently brushing away those crocodile tears.

"Steven. We'll find her. She's a Crystal Gem now. And that means a lot."

Even in this state, Garnets trust in Peridot filled Steven with joy. The sudden disappearance of the newest gem was, by all accounts, rather suspicious. They couldn't know that Peridot had been sent away by the impostor inside of his body!

"T-thanks, Garnet." Steven's body replied.

She gave him a thumbs up, and the gems stepped into the icy glow of the warp pad.

"Make sure you actually sleep, Steven!" Pearl's final demand echoed through the ring of the warp pad as Steven's family vanished into the light.

"I will…" He replied to the empty air, slowly turning around. "NOT!"

Steven's face, those innocent wide eyes and genuine frown, melted into a hateful glare. The pupils contracted into slits, and ghost Steven found himself alone with the thing that had stolen his body.

Bill Cipher.

"Boy, oh BOY." Bill sighed, swaying on Steven's knees. "What a bunch of SLOCK! Throw a few tears there way, and they just eat out of your hand! Pretty good, huh Steve?"

Steven glared back at Bill, clenching his pudgy fists.

"Shut up! You can't keep this up forever!" He tried to sound brave, but his wavering voice betrayed his true terror. Bill had kept it up for days now. Maybe there was no limit to his charade.

Bill shrugged, pulling at Steven's hair.

"You might be right. This body kind of sucks. I really don't want to, but Gravity Falls is only a portal away..."

Steven puffed, floating higher as his heart was raced. They'd had this conversation already.

"No it isn't! My body will pass out from portal sickness! And then I'll take it BACK!"

Cold dread passed through Steven as Bill slumped his face into an angry frown. He'd hit a nerve.

Bill forced Steven's body to stand up straight, glaring around the room.

"I guess you wouldn't mind if I destroy this body then? I mean, it's a pretty unfair deal for me if I don't get anything out of it!"

He lumbered over to the kitchen, roughly pulling open a cabinet drawer. Steven's ghostly blood ran cold as he heard the clattering of knives and forks from within it.

He felt tears sting his eyes, although no actual water materialized.

"Stop." He begged.

Bill was smiling through his face.

"I can say I had an accident with the macaroni..."

"STOP!"

As if to punctuate his desperation, a loud green flash tore into the room. Both boy and demon gasped, eyes drawn to the source of the glow.

"Steven?"

A voice sounded from a hole in reality. It was a voice that Steven recognized. It was the voice of a friend, and hearing it now made his head spin with shock.

Someone had appeared in Steven's room.

Bill abandoned the silverware, hustling up the stairs.

"No." Steven whispered. "No, no, no..."

A ragged circle cut into his bedroom, and a familiar sight popped into view.

It couldn't be.

"DIPPER!" Steven howled. "MABEL!"

His friends from Gravity Falls! Why had they opened a portal NOW, of all times?!

A darkened Gravity Falls forest loomed behind Dipper, his sister standing next to him. They were greeting Bill Cipher, all smiles.

Steven Universe watched in horror as Dipper reached out and grabbed his body's hand.

"Dipper! Don't do it! That's not ME!" He screamed, voice echoing into the abyss. "STOP!"

He felt numb with dread. Dipper was completely ignoring him. The twins stared right through him.

He wanted to cry.

Gritting his teeth, Steven floated through his body just as it touched Dipper. Nothing. No reaction. He knew he couldn't get his body back that way.

"AUGH! Stop! Please!"

He watched a glow spread from his body into Dipper. Steven felt numb as recognition sounded in his mind like an alarm.

Bill was trying to _fuse_ with Dipper!

A deep sense of revolution spread over Steven's ghostly form. How DARE he!

"I-It won't work…" Steven muttered. "It can't work! It's wrong!"

His life had become a literal nightmare.

Steven gasped as Dipper's body and his own body fell backwards, away from the portal. For a split second, he glimpsed that evil triangle rise from the shimmering air where he and Dipper's half-formed fusion had floated. Laughter rang into the air, then faded.

"THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!"

Steven whimpered with happiness. Bill had failed! The fusion hadn't worked!

Steven didn't care about what the monster meant about "memories." His own body lay before him, unoccupied at last.

It looked pretty worse for wear. Poor thing hadn't gotten any real sleep.

But it was HIS body!

Steven braced himself, then floated straight into his vessel.

This time, something stuck.

The first sensation he had was one of darkness. He wasn't sure how long it lasted.

Then light seemed to dance along his skin, a sublime sensation. He gave a ragged gasp, feeling air rush into his lungs. He faced the ceiling of his room, moonlight scattering rays of light over his body.

HIS body!

Slowly, Steven tried to get to his feet. His body felt too warm, too heavy. Everything hurt.

Sniveling, he steadied himself. The portal into Gravity Falls was gone!

Had he been asleep?

Worry prompted him into standing up.

He was ravenously hungry, yet nauseous. He had to get some water.

Slowly, he found his way into the kitchen. He gulped down water from the sink, feeling life flood into his dehydrated body. Then he turned to the fridge, pulling out a half-eaten bowl of ma-n-cheese. It was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted.

Then he sat on the floor and didn't move.

What could he do? Everyone he relied on was out of his reach. Should he just wait for the gems to come back?

Steven wasn't strong and independent like his Connie or Pearl, a leader like Garnet or his mother, or smart and resourceful like Peridot or Dipper…

 _Dipper!_

 _PERIDOT!_

The last he'd seen of Dipper, he'd been falling away as Bill released him. Was he ok?

And Peridot. She had to be in Gravity Fall. Lost, confused. He could rescue her.

Or, he could just wait on the gems to come back.

Steven got up. He'd made up his mind.

Groggily, he gathered up his portal supplies.

He shook the spray can as hard as he could, aiming it carelessly at a video game poster on his wall above his bed. Hands quivering slightly, he pulled out the bag of moth dust and powdered the page up.

Finally, he lit the match and threw it. There was a flash, and then a forest stood quietly in his bedroom.

"I'm coming back, don't worry. I promise. I gotta check on something first." He shoved the moth dust into his pocket, giving the warp pad one last nervous glance.

Steven stumbled through his portal, twisting as it electrified his exhausted body.

"Whew." Steven groaned, laying prone in the grass. He faced thousands of stars that danced just out of the reach in the tall pine forest.

How far was he from the Mystery Shack? He'd made the trek once; he'd do it again.

Steven's dull senses faded in and out as he hiked past rivers, trees, stumps, squirrels…

Distantly, he heard birdsong. The wind. Nothing human.

The forest gradually became a maze.

Eventually, gravity knocked him to the ground. Steven collapsed face down, letting his body rest on the forest floor.

Half conscious, he could feel the earth shuddering as he lay there. Deep voices rumbled towards him. Steven tried to raise his head.

"Whoa, dude, is that a human kid?" A voice so manly it shook the air sounded above Steven.

Through his blurry vision, he could make out fur, and lots of it. It smelled like Amethysts room combined with beef jerky.

Something sniffed his body, almost inhaling his shirt.

"Ugh, bro, smells weak. Should we eat it? Can I eat it? It looks tasty."

"Pubertaur! It's just a boy!"

"d-Dipper… help… you know the way to… the mystery shack?" Steven slurred, only half hearing the conversation.

"DIPPER? Hey kid, did you just say "Dipper?"

A huge, breaded face loomed over him. Steven nodded weakly.

"You know him? He's our bro, man!"

Steven continued to nod. His impression of these "bros" was that of large, powerful mountain men. Almost like animals.

"C-can you… tell me the way to the Mystery Shack? I'm looking for Dipper." Steven tried keep himself together, but his vision was blurring in and out.

"He smells WEAK, man."

Steven heard a loud snorting, and then a manly yelp. Something stomped back towards him.

"Yeah, no problem, chubby little dude! I'm Cutzpar, by the way!"

"H-hello!" Steven's world was swaying. "Thanks, dudes."

He collapsed again, darkness and the smell of sweaty hair engulfing him.

* * *

Dipper awoke to the sound of heated voices. He groaned as the living room swayed into view.

"Oh, you're ok! Thank goodness!" Mabel's voice soothed his ears.

"Ugh… wha-?" Dipper composed himself, wrestling with memories of what had just transpired.

 _Bill Cipher._

Dipper sat on the couch in the living room.

The first thing he saw was Peridot creeping around the room like a caged animal. Stan tracked her with his eyes, suspicious.

Ford was following her.

"Calm down. Tell us what Bill wanted with Dipper… oh, Dipper! You're awake." Ford rushed over to the couch. "That's a relief. Are you ok?"

Ford put his arms on his sides. He looked both worried… and cross. Stan and Peridot joined Ford, examining Dipper like he might explode at any moment.

"I'm fine." He croaked, coughing.

Dipper gave Mabel a serious stare. "Mabel… did you…"

She put her hands to her face.

Mabel's words gushed out.

"AGH! I did, Dipper, I spilled the BEANS and they went all OVER the place… y-you were hurt and they found me dragging you home and I was so afraid…!"

"It's ok, Mabel." Dipper sighed. "I guess it was inevitable anyway."

"Please, tell me what happened." Ford asked.

"I-I'm not sure. Bill, he... took some of my memories." Dipper tried to remember, painful flashes of memory glancing through his mind.

"Which ones?"

"Ummm… of Beach City. Of the in-between place! I think those are the ones he wanted!"

Ford stood; holding a hand to his chin. His face was dark with worry.

"Does that makes any sense to you?" Stan asked Ford.

"Maybe…" Ford grumbled. "Dipper. Mabel."

The twins perked up at his serious tone.

"WHY did you keep opening the portal? Why did you keep this a secret?"

Dipper swallowed. Here it was. THE conversation.

"I- I…"

"We wanted to see our FRIENDS." Mabel sniffed. "Y-you woulda stopped us."

Ford looked furious, but suddenly shook his head. "It's… it's ok. Bill might have been able to pass through even before the first tear opened. But you shouldn't have kept it a secret."

Dipper hung his head. Ford was right. He'd never forgive himself if their actions had lead to Steven's possession by Bill.

Suddenly, The entire group jumped as there was a loud knock on the front door.

"I'll get it." Stan said.

"L-let's all go see who it is." Dipper was paranoid, and everyone else seemed to feel the same.

They followed Stan downstairs to the door. A shadow blocked the small window on the Shack's gift shop entrance.

Stan swung the door open, revealing fur. And lots of it.

"Ummm… is Dipper home?"

Dipper heard Mabel squeak as the face of a Manatour floated in the door, all beard and horns and raw testosterone.

"Cutzpar!" Dipper's voice cracked. "What are you doing here, man?" Dipper recognized his Manatour friend from earlier in the summer.

"We found this in our forest. I think it's yours?"

The beast held out its massive hands, cradling the body of a young body in a red shirt with a yellow star on the front.

"STEVEN!"

The entire group squawked with varying flavors of surprise.

"Cool! Here ya go. I hope it's not dead."

Cutzpar dropped Steven into Dipper's arms like a sack of potatoes, and Dipper swayed backwards with the weight of Steven's body.

"T-thanks, dude." He croaked.

"Nice seein' ya, man!" The giant man-beasts began to lumber away. "Come visit the Man Cave sometime!"

Dipper gave a tiny wave from underneath Steven's body.

"Steven! Oh! Oh! STEVEN!"

Peridot frantically lifted Steven's body off Dipper, shaking it.

"Steven! Are you asleep? Is it really you? I'm so sorry!" She closed her eyes and grimaced. "I failed my mission! I f-f-f-f-failed!"

Peridot looked like she was about to burst into tears, pressing her face into Steven's shirt.

"Mmm…" Steven started to mumble. Dipper didn't dare take a breath.

"Peridot… hey… I'm proud of you…" He awkwardly patted the shocked gem on the chest, looking delirious.

"Hey, I…" Steven blinked. His eyes looked clouded by exhaustion, but his pupils where round, natural. Dipper let himself take a breath. This was Steven Universe.

"I found you! I found you!" Steven collapsed into Peridot arms, nearly knocking her over.

His upper lip quivered. "I f-found… you…"

"You're ok!" Dipper took in a deep breath. He felt like he was experiencing a miracle.

Peridot was taking in heavy breaths, still looking like she was working herself into a sob.

"STEVEN!" Mabel cried, wrapping her arms around their confused guest.

"mmmAAAGGGHH!" Peridot gave an inhuman wail and followed Mabel's example, burying her face into Steven's poufy hair.

Dipper gave Steven an awkward back pat, on account of there wasn't much more of Steven to go around.

"You guys!" Steven was blubbering, tears streaking his dirty face. "I… I just… I'm so happy to see you… I've missed you…"

"Stop! Don't do that! Y-youre making me wanna do it too…" Peridot gave a huge sniff, tears finally rushing down her visor.

"Oh my stars… what IS this?" She gently touched her face, and then began to rub her eyes in a panic. "How do you stop it?!"

"Y-you've never cried before?" Dipper ventured, feeling the sting of waterworks threatening his own face at this touching reunion.

"MAYBE!?" Peridot snarled, and then turned to Steven, who wrapped his arms around her.

"Awww, Peridot, that's great!" He blubbered.

"No, it isn't." Peridot blushed, leaning on Steven's head as she shut her eyes and let more water stream down her face.

"E-everyone…" Steven stammered, and Mabel and Peridot rushed to help him get to his feet.

"H-he tricked me. This guy… this yellow triangle jerk… he TRICKED me! Dipper, that wasn't me!"

The Pines exchanged knowing glances.

"I know." Dipper replied, watching Steven's eyes widen in surprise.

Peridot gasped, searching anxiously over Steven. "That monster that was controlling you? Did he hurt you?!"

"This is all that... _things_ fault!"

Dipper gave a weary sigh.

"Welp. That solves a few mysteries, doesn't it?"

He caught Ford's frown out of the corner of his eye. Their eyes meet, and Dipper's joy at the gems reunion was overwhelmed with worry.

"Peridot. Steven." Ford began. "Please tell us everything."


	5. Chapter 5

Steven was back in Gravity Falls.

He sat at the dinner table with the entire family minus Stan, which was exceptionally crowded. Steven was recounting the terrible events of the past fews days as best as he could could. But before he could finish Stan had returned, carrying bags of aromatic food from the Greasy Diner.

"Alright… uhh… I got two burgers, a hot dog, a milkshake… who wanted the extra fries…" Stan distributed the meals, Steven thanking him enthusiastically for the hot dog with fries. He was still totally hungry.

To his surprise, Peridot reached for the chocolate shake.

"Whoa! You're gonna EAT with us?!" Steven had yet to see Peridot enjoy common human activities like eating or sleeping.

"Even I haven't been able to convince her to try that! Good job, you guys!" Steven said.

"We didn't really do anything special?" Dipper muttered. "She likes coffee. Right, Peridot?"

Perdit said nothing at first, loudly sipping her shake. "That flavor is objectively the most satisfactory. Out of a very small sample, of course. Nugh, that's cold!"

Steven beamed at Dipper, who returned a confused shrug.

"Steven." Ford interrupted their more casual conversation. "Please, continue."

"Oh. Ok. S-so…" He continued, swallowing his fries. "Bill... he got my body." In spite of himself, Steven sniffed. It was hard to admit how easily he'd been tricked. It hurt.

"H-he told me about how his own universe was falling apart. How it was dying. How he needed MY help. He seemed so NICE! He was so dramatic about all of it!"

"It's ok." Steven gasped at Dipper's unusually grim tone. "Bill's tricked me before, too."

"AND me."

Ford stood up, his broad shoulders blocking out the windows light.

Dipper's OTHER grunckle may have looked a bit like Stan, but he was a LOT more serious.

"Bill isn't from this universe, or yours. He doesn't belong in the psychical realm. But he can posses bodies in order to-"

Peridot wringing her hands, looking thoughtful. "Bill didn't come from either one of these Universes? Where in the stars IS he from?"

Ford gave a small chuckle. "None of our stars, that's for sure."

"Anyway, Steven. Let's hear the rest of it. We all understand how manipulative Bill can be, so don't worry."

Steven was still trying to find his place within his memories when Peridot started speaking.

"Steven came to me." She glanced nervously to Steven, who gave her a tiny nod. "H-he told me about a highly classified, top secret mission." She hunched her shoulders. "But I got kind of suspicious when he brought out that portal dust. It didn't make sense to me that the other gems wouldn't have been involved in something that important."

"He told me…" She sighed, eyes shifting. Steven could tell how upset these memories made her. "He told me that... that he'd hurt Steven if I didn't make a deal with him. It was really horrible, seeing him USE Steven's body like that... and in my own defense, he was exceptionally good at threatening me. He told me to…" she sighed again, and Steven watched her give Dipper a guilty glance.

"He told me to bring a lifeform called "Dipper Pines" to Beach City." Peridot screwed up her face. "If not, he was going to hurt Steven. REALLY hurt him. T-then he…"

She sighed once more, drawing her hands around her shoulders. Steven reached out and squeezed her hand, and she returned the gesture.

"He showed me how to get here. With that mission… to find Dipper Pines and bring him through the portal. No matter what it took."

She shrunk away from the gazes of the humans, clearly fearful of how they would treat this news.

"Continue." Ford said, sharing a meaningful glance with Dipper. "We're not going to judge you TOO harshly."

Peridot continued, eyes still shut.

"I had misgivings when I found out that "Dipper Pines" was sentient life. A human. But I failed the mission anyway. It never mattered. You idiots went to Bill all on your own."

She sighed again, cutting off Dipper's grumble of protest. "I-I wouldn't blame you for hating me, actually… you were right to not trust me. I-I would have hurt you."

"Peridot!" Steven cried, heart sinking. "They don't feel that way. Right? Dipper? Everyone, she's telling the whole truth! I had to watch it go down."

Dipper began to nod. "Bill's bad news. Besides, you didn't actually do anything..."

Steven felt a rush of relief, hoping Dipper meant it.

Mabel jumped in. "Yeah! It's ok, Peridot! We don't hate you! No way!"

Steven wallowed in uncomfortable silence as the two adults refused to offer any comments.

Stan cleared his throat. "Welp, I applaud you for being honest, that was stupid, you shoulda told us some kind of lie instead-"

Ford crossed his arms. "Stan! What is wrong with you?!"

Stan grumbled and bit into his burger. "Ift's true." He mumbled.

Ford turned to Peridot. "It's fine, Peridot. What you planned to do was wrong, but Bill is the real villain here."

"Bill wanted those memories of the intbetween space for a reason. We need to know what that reason is."

The room was heavy with tension.

Peridot slowly began to shake her head frantically.

"Does that even matter? Who cares what he wants now. What're we even doing here?! Let's go back NOW!" She turned to Steven.

She was clenching her fists, looking frantic. "Where's the dust? You brought some, Steven? Right?"

Steen brightened. "Of course. Lemme just…"

He jammed a hand into his pocket, grasping cloth where he should have found a plastic bag. He felt a cold sweat break out over his body. Peridot was watching anxiously.

"It's gotta be here, I uh…" Steven checked his other pocket, coming up empty.

His face was red with embarrassment now.

Steven gulped. "Guess I dropped it in the woods… those big dudes mighta taken it from me, too…"

Peridot was frozen, one eye twitching.

Dipper spoke up. "Mabel, you kept the dust right?" Steven breathed a sigh of relief, silently thanking Dipper for the save.

Mabel bit her lip. "Ummm…"

Stan leaned forward and held up a grimy plastic baggie.

A tiny lump of glittering dirt had collected in the corner.

"What?!" Dipper yelled. "What happened?!"

Mabel was hiding her face. "W-When Bill grabbed you, I was terrified and I dropped it… and it blew all over the grass! I tried to collect it after, but it was all dirty and grassy and I got a spider in it and…"

"AUUUGGGGHHH!" Steven jolted as Peridot exploded into a scream. "Are you SERIOUS?! We have no way to get back?! After ALL THAT we're STILL STUCK HERE?! Mmmmm…"

Steven lurched forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back from the table.

"It's ok… there's gotta be a way… we'll figure it out…" He tried to clam her down, distracting himself from his own sense of panic at this news.

Stan snorted. "You guys shouldn't have stored that stuff in thin plastic baggies… pretty basic."

"That's besides the point NOW!" Dipper growled, and Steven saw that he was blushing. That choice of storage, once intuitive and convenient, now seemed really careless.

"Everyone… listen." Ford's voice stilled the table. "I… honestly never wanted to work with portal technology again. But like I said before… we may be forced to work together. Bill has infiltrated both Universes, and I have… a hunch. A bad hunch."

Peridot made a loud sniff. Steven held his breath, hoping that Ford was going to reveal some easy secret to interdimensional travel instead of another bad hunch.

"I propose that we work on building a temporary, closed-loop portal to allow safe, easy travel between both universes."

Steven gasped. Close enough.

"Seriously!? That's great!" He cried. "That's better than great! That's AMAZING!"

Dipper and Mabel echoed him with surprised yells, but Stan remained unmoved.

"Are you serious, Ford?" Stan grumbled. "After what happened BEFORE?"

Ford crossed his arms. "I know it seems insane. And I don't like it. But this time, it'll be different."

He closed his eyes, sighing. "Different technology for a different purpose. Only _one_ universe to another. Secure."

"And… Peridot." Ford and the green gem held an antagonistic stare.

"You must follow my instructions, without fail, if we are to accomplish this. Safety is the TOP priority. If you show ANY signs of not acting in our best interest..."

Steven felt Peridot's tense shoulders against his own.

Steven looked to Peridot, still silent. "We should trust them."

Peridot looked ready to explode.

"We BARELY know them! I was going to KIDNAP one of them! Do you really think- do you REALLY think... that we can be FRIENDS?!"

Steven shrugged, placing a hand on her chest and staring her down. "You barely knew me and the gems when you started working on that drill. You didn't even like us. But we worked together! And look how much better it turned out than if you hadn't!"

Peridot growled. "Because we had no choice!" She gave a tiny, pained laughed. "Guess I don't have a choice in this either!"

Steven didn't skip a beat. "I know the Pines! Don't you trust me?"

"RUGGGGHH!" Perdiot stomped her feet on the chair she was sitting on. "Fine! Fine fine fine FINE!"

Perdiot puffed angrily for a few seconds, but then composed herself.

"I agree to your terms." She stared daggers into Ford. "But it's not just my decision. Steven?"

She looked right at him.

"You officially agree to this?"

Steven was elated that Peridot, homeworld-gem turned crystal-gem Peridot, was treating him as an equal. As a real, important member of the gems.

"Sure!" he answered vibrantly. "Friendship is always the right way! Thank you, Peridot." He hugged her across the shoulders.

"Pfft. I hope you're right." Peridot muttered. "I really, really hope you're right."

"We should begin research in my lab right away." Ford said curtly, finally sitting back down.

"You've got a lab?" Steven said in wonderment. Peridot rolled her eyes.

Dipper nodded, eyes sparkling as he gazed at Ford.

"More than that." Dipper said, taking a deep breath.

"Ford is the author of the journals."

Steven nearly fell out of his chair, dropping his half-eaten hot dog.

"NOOOOO WAY!"

Dipper gave a knowing smile. "Yes. Yes way. Yes all the way!" He grinned at Steven, wearing that enthusiastic look he always got when he was excited.

"I'm so glad you finally get to met him, Steven."

 _The journals author!_

"I'm a huge fan of your book." Steven said, stars in his eyes.

Ford's harsh attitude softened a bit, and he gave a friendly shrug. "I hope you didn't use it for anything dangerous, Steven."

"The journal is how I meet Dipper!" Steven enthused. "It's super important!"

Stan grumbled through a mouthful of beef patty. "Look's like you've got another groupie."

Dipper protested as Mabel mocked him, but Steven didn't mind.

"I guess so!" He laughed, realizing that he actually felt cheerful for the first time in days. His body was his own again, and he was surrounded by friends.

Overall, things where finally looking up for Steven Universe.

* * *

"Awwww man, I got the black diamond ring!"

Dipper peeked over his book, watching as Steven removed the plastic jewelry from his body. Everyone was in their pajamas; night had fallen on the Shack.

"I'm gonna win!" Mabel chirped, shaking the cheap blue necklaces and beads that swung from her neck and wrists.

Dipper looked back to the page, but Steven had caught his eye anyway.

"Come now, Dipper, don't you want to be a princess too?" Steven spoke in a mock high-class tone.

Dipper shook his head. "Sorry. I gotta draw the line somewhere."

The board game/jewelry collection simulator "Perfect Perfect Princess" was that line.

Mabel made a dismissive "pffft" with her lips, holding out the tiny mirror and admiring herself.

"You look lovely, dear Princess Mabel." Steven bowed.

Dipper snickered. "Steven, please."

Steven grinned wide, that infectious smile he got when he was happy.

Part of Dipper was confused as to how Steven managed to stay so outgoing after what he had lived through.

 _What if it's your fault?_

Dipper was still looking at the words on his page, but he wasn't reading them. Using the moth dust to open the mini portals had been his idea, and he was the one who implemented it first. What if that was how Bill learned about Steven's universe?

A loud yawn from Mabel interrupted his thoughts.

"Ugh, let's go to bed." She threw off her Princess accessories, patting Waddles and climbing into bed.

Steven wrestled with his sleeping bag.

"This is _really_ cool. I always wanted to have a real sleepover at you guy's house!" He huddled inside the old cloth sleeping bag, patting Waddles as the pig settled in next to him.

"Me too." Dipper mumbled, and Mabel added "Me three!"

Having a sleepover with his friend _had_ been something Dipper wished for. But had they paid a terrible price for it?

"Good night, Dipper. Good night, Mabel!" The twins echoed Steven, as if daring each other to be the last to wish "good night."

"Good Night! Last time I'll say it!" Dipper reached for the lights.

The lights turned out, Dipper lay facing the edge of his bed for a few minutes. Steven's fuzzy hair was turned towards him. Steven had cuddled up to Waddles, seeming rather comfortable sharing his space with a pig.

"Hey…" He whispered. "Steven…"

There was no response. Disappointed, Dipper rolled over. What use was a sleepover if you didn't stay up all night, talking nonsense?

He rolled over again. "Steven…"

Mabel answered him. "Shhh, Dipper, he's really tired!"

Dipper flushed with embarrassment. He was so caught up in his own feelings that he'd ignored Steven's.

He watched dust motes dance around the G.U.Y. figurine above him. Eventually, he could hear the gentle breathing of his sleeping companions. He felt left out.

Dipper slid out of bed, awkwardly picking his way around Steven. Lucky for him, the half-gem was a sound sleeper.

The stairs creaked softly under his feet as he headed downward.

He crept towards Ford's room. He and Peridot had moved their operation there. Voices grew louder as he neared the door.

"… so all you have to do is visualize a location? I don't understand what makes that work. It sounds like magic." Ford's voice rumbled down the hall.

Peridot clicked her tongue. "It's NOT _magic_!" She sounded disgusted. "I'm not sure how it works either; but this crystal shares properties with certain kinds of gem tech. I don't know EXACTLY why it works, but in theory, it will…"

There followed a series of knocking sounds.

"Hey, why can't I open this?!"

"You can't get in there. Not everything in this lab is here is available to you."

"Then how do you expect me to work with you at full efficiency?!"

Dipper indulged himself a tiny peek into the room. What he saw almost looked like a completely new place, transformed by an array of samples, recycled parts, and a makeshift workbench made from an overturned computer tower. Dipper was so caught off guard that he let his body sway into the doorway, eagerly studying the changes in Ford's room.

"Dipper?" Ford was tall enough to see him over Peridot's big hair. "What're you doing up?" He sighed, giving Peridot a weary glance. "You want to join us?"

Dipper's head started to nod "yes" before his mind even processed this generous request from Ford. "Yes, thank you!"

Peridot growled and turned away, continuing to pick apart a TV controller with a screwdriver.

Ford was holding out a chunk of teal crystal with tongs. "Look at this. This growing/shrinking crystal has been infused with a processed sample of matter from Peridot's Universe and this Universe, and now it exists in a permanent state of quantum-uncertainty!" Ford swung out his arm and gestured to the big monitor, which displayed complex math equations and graphs.

Peridot leaned over, lazily pointing the screwdriver towards Ford.

"I'm telling you, this isn't going to produce enough heat to activate the crystal. You're gonna destroy all these parts for nothing."

"Let's just build it." Ford said.

"UGH! Here, hold this…" Dipper started as Peridot shoved the remote into his hands. He held it steady as the gem carefully dug around the embedded microchip.

"Thank YOU!" She chirped, holding out the liberated chip and smiling.

"Hold this." Peridot said again, handing him the screwdriver.

She held out the remote to Ford, letting him slowly set the crystal into the chassis. Peridot had made complex alteration to the remotes interior.

As she turned back to solder the parts together, she held out her hand and wiggled her fingers. Somewhat miffed, Dipper set the screwdriver in her hand again.

Ford laughed. "She's like that. I've never seen anyone work so fast and efficiently, though."

Ford sighed and plopped unto the floor.

"I'm so tired…"

"Why don't you take a nap, Gruncle Ford? I can… help…" He blinked as Peridot passed him the screwdriver again. "…Peridot while you sleep."

Ford grunted and stood up. "No. Peridot isn't allowed in here without me."

"Excuse me, can you hold this end while I finish joining this?" Peridot was ignoring Ford.

Dipper gave a rusty sigh.

He supported the plastic end of the wire as Peridot soldered it to a replacement chip in the remote.

"Annnd… there!" Peridot suddenly hummed with energy. "It's finished! Let's test this out!"

"Wait."

Ford was holding up his hands. "It's highly unstable."

"Yes, because like I _said_ , the heating mechanism isn't going to work." She raised her eyebrows at Ford. "But you you're not going to believe me until we watch it blow UP!"

Peridot suddenly exploded, pointing the remote at Ford with her finger hovering over the HOME button. Her mouth spread into a rather predatory smile.

Dipper knew how costly Ford's own portal research had been.

"T-this isn't a contest, guys…" Dipper began, but Ford had caught Peridot's rage.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" He roared.

Dipper jumped back as Peridot phoned HOME.

They all gasped, leaping back as the remote opening a portal with a bright blue-green flash.

The bright edges of a nearly perfect circle barely even flickered. Beyond it, Dipper could see a dock, slight ocean breeze fluttering into the fetid lab.

"T-that is the BEST portal I've ever seen." Dipper declared, his bed headed hair tossed by the wind.

"Turn it off!" Ford grabbed the remote from Peridot's hand as she stood open mouthed before the portal. With a high-pitched click, Ford pushed the button.

The portal vanished in an instant, leaving behind no traces it ever existed.

"That's it! I'm not working with you _anymore_ unless-"

"It worked." Peridot stammered.

"It worked. The heat was enough… you were right." She gazed at Ford with astonishment.

Dipper's head was swirling. "That was better than anything I could come up with. And I worked on it for MONTHS. You should DEFINITELY keep working together."

"Well, I never would have COME UP with that solution if you hadn't clarified the quantum properties of the crystal!" Ford yelled angrily at Peridot.

"Ummm…" Dipper began to back out of the room, watching the faces of both gem and human slowly fade out of anger as they began to admire the offending remote.

"FINE!" Ford snapped. "But you're still not allowed in here unless I am!"

"Sure." Peridot's face spread into grin. "We'll see what you can manage without me."

Ford shook his head grimly. "Nice try."

"Either way…" Peridot picked up a crystal and held it up, as if it was lens she could use to see Ford better. "You're the smartest organic clod I've ever worked with."

"Was that a _compliment_?" Dipper muttered, and to his surprise, Peridot leaned in and whispered back.

"He's the ONLY organic clod I've ever worked with."


	6. Chapter 6

"Ohhh, wow! That's so… awesome!"

Steven carried on, indulging Dipper as he rambled on and on about how Ford and Peridot had managed to create miniature portals already. He didn't really understand any of it… he wasn't even sure what the word "quantum" meant. But he enjoyed seeing Dipper be so enthusiastic.

"Right!?" Dipper gushed. "It functions the same in practice, but the reality is that the remote portals are driven by a completely different set of quantum principles…"

"Uh…. Huh…." Steven nodded mindlessly.

The two boys where hanging out in the living room, closing time already dawning on the Mystery Shack. Steven had really slept in.

"Hey Steven! I have a favor to ask ya."

Stan strolled into the room from the gift shop, dressed like a gentlemen. His black suit and pants contrasted sharply with the slippers and dirty white tank he wore when he wasn't working.

"Sure!" Secretly, Steven was rather glad to have someone rescue him from Dipper's science nonsense.

Stan leaned down, holding Steven's full attention. Out of the corner of his eye, Steven saw that Dipper looked a bit miffed.

"Can you ask Peridot if she'll do a…. guest appearance… " His eyes shifted, and he made quotes with his fingers. "…for the show tomorrow?"

"You mean like… be PART of the Mystery Shack?!" Steven enthused. "That sounds really cool!"

Dipper shook his head nervously. "No it isn't. Don't let him fool you!"

Stan pulled out a pack of bright yellow bumper stickers with the words "THE MYSTERY SHACK" plastered across them. "I've got something in it for ya…"

"Ohhh… stickers…" Steven glowed, reaching out for Stan's bribe.

"You just want to get RID of those." Dipper groaned at Stan. "They peel off after like 5 minutes."

"One man's trash, Dipper…" Steven held a single, glistening sticker that Stan had slipped into his fingers. "I choose to believe this is a quality product."

"Just ask her before we open tomorrow…" Stan was strolling away, flapping the stickers like dollar bills.

"Wow." Dipper sounded unimpressed.

Steven unpeeled the sticker from it's backing, and slapped it across his shirt. He stuck out his tongue, placing his hands on his hips and facing Dipper.

"Wow." Dipper repeated, sounding even less impressed.

Steven frowned. Dipper seemed really on edge. It wasn't like he didn't have reason to be grumpy, but Steven sensed he had troubles on his mind that he wasn't speaking aloud. He felt a twinge of guilt, reflecting on how he had brought his own troubles into Dipper's house.

"Dipper…" Steven began. "Are you ok? I know a lot has happened…"

They interrupted by an explosion of chatter that burst into the house. Steven recognized Mabel's voice, but none of the other ones registered in his memory.

"Oh, great." Dipper grumbled. "She's brought in the cavalry."

Steven didn't have time to ask what he meant.

"Steven!" Mabel rushed into the room, standing next to him and holding her arms out to introduce him. "These are my best friends, Grenda and Candy!"

Steven gave a tiny squeak of delight.

Grenda was a broad shouldered girl in pink, her voice surprisingly deep. Her shirt proclaimed her to be "Cool!"

"Hi Steven!" Grenda boomed, grinning.

Candy was much slighter, her glasses and long black hair reminding Steven of Connie.

"Hello, Steven Universe." She gave a small wave, giggling shyly.

"Hi!" Steven greeted them happily.

"Mable told us allllll about you." Grenda leaned forward and grabbed his arms somewhat roughly, the other girls laughing and pulling away into a tiny circle.

"W-well, thanks…" Steven was overwhelmed, but the joyful demeanor of the girls was infectious.

An annoyed voice sounded in his ear. "C'mon, Steven, let's go upstairs or something." Dipper rolled his eyes at the gaggle of girls.

"What? Why? Let's hang out with them!" Steven replied, and the giggling rumbled louder.

Dipper gave Steven a truly confused look. "Seriously? But they like to do, ya know…"

Steven was genuinely confused by where Dipper was going with this.

"…girl stuff." Dipper finished, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at his sister's friends.

"So?" Steven raised an eyebrow.

"Did I hear something about GIRL stuff?"

Steven gasped with delight as Wendy, tall and confident with her long red hair and big boots, strolled into the room.

"Wendy!" Steven cried, rushing to meet her, vaguely aware of Dipper leaning into the shadows as the pretty clerk walked in.

"Wondered if I'd ever see you again. How ya' been doin?" Wendy crossed her arms and leaned on the wall casually.

"Umm… been better actually, but…" Steven stopped himself before the memories could get to him. "…it's good to see you! Is Soos here too?"

Wendy gave a knowing smile. "He's waiting outside with the car. Mabel told me you where visiting, and we decided that we should take you out on the town while you're here."

Mabel bounced slightly. "You can choose! Where do you wanna go?!" Grenda and Candy gathered beside her, staring at him expectantly.

"Hmmm…" Steven placed a hand to his chin, exaggerating. "Well… I'm already in the most interesting place in Gravity Falls, the Famous Mystery Shack…"

Dipper gave a dismissive snort as the girls all chuckled, and finally spoke up.

"Why don't we go to the arcade?" Dipper ventured, eyes darting over the girls as if he expected a strong response.

"Oh, that's a great idea! Just like when we met!" Steven gushed, remembering how much fun he'd had back at home, playing at the arcade not long after Dipper had landed in Beach City.

There was a resounding positive response to this suggestion overall. Dipper almost looked disappointed.

Steven was still confused. "Are video games "girl stuff?"

'No!" Dipper huffed. "That was exactly the point... but oh well. Let's go."

* * *

"Here we are, dudes!"

Steven watched the arcade float by through the dirty window as Soos swung the car around to park in the back.

"Wow!" Steven exclaimed. "Looks a lot like my arcade back home."

"I can't wait to play VIDEO GAMES!" Grenda bellowed, the loud group of kids piling out of the car and rushing inside.

"Ok, dudes, Stan gave me quarters… hey! This isn't enough…" Soos grumbled as they raced into the space, familiar beeps and boops filling the rather stale air of the arcade.

"I've got money…" Dipper muttered, pulling out a bag of coins from his pocket.

"Nice planning, Dipper!" Steven replied. The group pulsed, Mable and her friends hovering around Steven.

"What do you wanna play? OH, _Nerd Punch!_ No, Grenda, _Frog Time_ is my favorite… Here, Steven let's check this out together…"

They all spoke at once, pulling Steven in multiple directions.

Dippers irritated voice came to his rescue. "Why don't we let STEVEN decide what he wants to play?"

Steven fidgeted. "Umm… is there a machine around here like "Dance Dance?"

Dipper coughed. "Uh, you know, I think it's broken…" But Mabel and company where already tugging Steven into the depths of the arcade, through a maze of games. Dipper hustled after him.

"Woooow!" Mabel was beaming. "They fixed it! And it's got two player mode now!"

Steven stood before a majestic pink arcade machine, two dance stations waiting solemnly in front of twin screens. Large block letters proclaimed this mighty game station to be "HO-DOWN HERO."

Steven immediately looked around for Dipper, finding him clustered behind the girls.

"Dipper…." Steven breathed, pointing to the game. "We gotta play that."

Dipper's eyes shifted nervously. Soos and Wendy had found them, and the group stood expectantly before them. Steven was excited to have an audience.

"…alright. But I want you to play _Fight Fighters_ before we go, for sure." Dipper said, procuring his bag of quarters.

Steven stood on the right dance pad, shifting his legs excitedly. "I wonder if they have any of the same songs as in my universe?"

"Probably not." Dipper popped in some quarters and stood, back taking in a deep breath. Steven noticed that he was sweating, looking almost sickly as the bright light from the screens highlighted his face.

"Hey, are you alright?" Steven asked, yelling over a blast of country music from the speakers. "This is gonna be fun!"

Dipper nodded wordlessly. "L-lets do this."

Steven watched as Dipper navigated to a medium difficulty, partly wishing he would have gone with the EXTREME level just for laughs.

"YA'LL READY…?" The machine blared.

"Yes!" Steven braced himself.

"HO-DOWN!"

The flavor of this dance was rather different from what Steven was accustomed to, but he could feel the beat screaming through his body. He slammed his feet down to the song, hearing cheers from his friends behind him. He glanced over to Dipper, who seemed to be struggling.

"You can do it!" Steven enthused.

Dipper's eyes darted from the screen to his feet. He kept hauling his legs back to the center, keeping him a few paces behind. Steven snapped back to his own screen, trying to avoid a similar fate.

A loud "YEE-HAW" announced that the game, almost as quickly as he had begun, was over.

"Whoa, Steven, you're the master!" He heard Soo's impressed voice behind him. He looked up to see his score, which sat at 85%.

"Wow." Steven gasped. "That's way above my usual average."

"Ugh."

Stevne turned to Dipper. 18%.

Steven felt hot with embarrassment. He hadn't meant to out preform has friend by such a large margin!

"H-Hey Dipper, it's ok, I practiced at home after you left…" Steven rubbed the back of his head and gave a sheepish smile.

"It's ok." Dipper panted, leaning on the railings behind him. "That was still fun."

Tentatively Dipper held out his hand for a high five, but Dipper was distracted, stepping off the pad. Steven reached for him, but the group closed around him as Dipper vanished into the arcade.

"Share a game with us!" Mabel pleaded. "Please?"

Steven watched sadly as the peak of Dipper's hat vanished behind the crowd. But Mabel's face blocked his view, and he let go of his guilt. It was nice being so popular.

"Sure!"

Steven allowed the girls to give him a revolving tour of the arcade. The group spilt off at times, each pursuing different games.

* * *

GAME OVER! CONTINUE…?

Steven dropped his hands off the up/down control arrows as big flashing green letters begged him for more quarters. Candies much smaller hands lay over the right/left arrows.

Candy was helping him earn a high score on _Frog Time._

"You did very good, Steven!" Candy proclaimed as she typed in the initials CSU.

Steven laughed. "Sure, but isn't two having people play this game cheating?"

Candy shook her head. "It is simply… playing the game." She gave him a mysterious glance.

"Okay… well. I'm gonna go look for Dipper." Steven waved as he left, searching the labyrinth of the arcade for his friend.

He approached Wendy, who was hanging out in a corner with some other teenagers.

"Have you seen Dipper?" He asked.

"Ugh, that little toad?" A pale boy with slick black haired sneered, gesturing with his thumb as he cuddled a girl with heavy makeup to his chest. "I think he went out back to _mope_ or something."

Wendy made an agitated snort, but she seemed to nod.

"Thank you!" Steven headed for the door they had gestured to, trying not to let their dismissive attitudes get to him.

Steven pushed the pockmarked, graffiti laden door open, cool nighttime air rushing through his hair. It was already dark in Gravity Falls. Distant city lights dyed the sky yellow.

The door creaked shut behind him. As his eyes adjusted, he could make the form of another person, wearing a hat, sitting beneath a light. Moths swirled over the figures head.

Steven crept closer. What was wrong with Dipper? What would drive him out here?

"Dipper…" Steven began. "What're you out here for?"

"Oh!" Dipper jolted, turning to face Steven with surprise. "I could ask you the same thing."

"I was looking for you." Steven settled next to Dipper, letting his sandaled feet dangle off the concrete edge.

Steven fidgeted as they sat in silence, swaying his feet. Dipper finally leaned back, sighing. He looked straight up into the tornado of moths above them, their wings scattering the light.

"What if it' my fault?" Dipper said.

Steven leaned back, surprised. "What's your fault?"

"Bill!" Dipper hunched his shoulders. "Bill wanted MY memories, and we don't know why! But he used you to reach me… what if he used ME to reach YOU in the first place?"

Steven tried not to chuckle at the absurdity of Dipper's redundant wording. "I don't understand…"

Dipper held his arms open to Steven. "We shouldn't have opened those portals! We should have left it alone. Mixing worlds is too dangerous."

Steven felt his heart clench with confused sorrow. "No." He started to shake his head, faster and faster.

"No way!" Steven stood up under the spot light.

"Bad things happen. It's not your fault. There's nothing wrong with wanting to stay friends, no matter what!"

He pouted, wrestling with the cold logic in Dipper's argument. Dipper hadn't done anything wrong! Why did he want to blame himself?

Dipper was focused on the sky, the haze of the town dissolving the starlight.

Dipper continued. "The gems must be worried sick about you. Connie and your dad too! I just can't… URGH!" He grabbed his hat, squashing the cap into his hair. "I'm too worried to play games at an arcade! We should be helping Ford and Peridot, or doing research, or…"

Steven plopped down as Dipper's words changed the tenor of his mood.

"Maybe you're right." He sighed, thinking of the suffering his family and friends were enduring, right at this moment. A wave of guilt washed over him.

"I- I got tricked so easily. Why couldn't I see Bill for the criminal he is?!"

He shrunk down, feeling vulnerable. This was actually all STEVENS fault!

"I'm not very smart, huh? I fell right into Bill's trap."

Dipper set a firm hand on his shoulder. "Don't say that. I'm sorry." He gave a sad laugh. "I shouldn't ever talk about feelings. Sorry."

"No, no, it's ok! I'm glad you talked to me. It's even worse to keep it all in your head! And… I thought you wanted to play _Fight Fighters_."

Despite the fact that nothing had changed, Steven felt better.

Dipper slowly gave a tiny smile.

"You know what? You're right, I feel better now. I'm sick of feeling sorry for myself!"

Steven smiled back.

The two of them headed back into the arcade. The glaring lights of the game machines somehow seemed fresher now, and the mood of the arcade had grown calmer as many patrons had headed home.

" _Fight Fighters_ is over this way." Dipper pointed to a dark corner of the arcade.

Steven gazed wistfully at _Ho-Down Hero_. The rude black haired boy and his girlfriend where stepping off of the pads, clearly done with their attempt at playing the game.

"Hey, uh… Hmmm…" Dipper glared at the pink dance dance machine. "You wanna have another go?"

Steven couldn't help himself. He nodded.

But before they could get their quarters ready, Wendy strolled out from behind a row of arcade cabinets.

"There you are." She said. "I'm getting reeeaaaally bored of this place. You guys wanna round up Mabel's gang and go out for food?"

Steven slumped in disappointment.

"Uh, sure, Wendy." Dipper stammered. He shot Steven an apologetic glance.

"UGGGGH!"

"AEEEIIIYH!"

 _"DUDE!"_

Frantic yells sounded from deeper inside the arcade. Steven braced himself, but Wendy just shrugged.

"Wonder if Robbie just fell a few points short of the high score again."

Dipper was already heading towards the sound, looking worried. "Soos?" He called. "Mabel?"

His call was answered by a loud POP and the sound of shattering glass.

Steven rounded a corner with Dipper. He glimpsed Wendy and Grenda crouching behind Soos, who brandished a plastic gun from one of the arcades. He and Mabel were pointing their fake guns towards thin air; Steven noticed that they had been torn from the machine, wires dangling.

"No way. Did one of the games come to life again?!" Dipper called, halting as he surveyed the damage.

"Quiet! Listen!" Mabel hissed. "It could be anywhere."

Steven swayed with uneasiness. WHAT was she talking about?

He opened his ears, trying to focus over anxious voices elsewhere in the arcade.

Somewhere over the low static hum of the game machines, he could hear a much higher hiss. It filled the air, like white noise on a TV set…

"STEVEN, LOOK OUT!"

Something leapt unto Steven's back.

He raised his arms with a gasp, feeling something like pointed claws tickling his skin through his shirt. He stood as still he could, paralyzed by panic.

He wasn't going to be able to hold this pose for long. His body yearned to escape the thing that was crawling on him. In his peripheral vision, he could see Dipper leaning away, and Steven struggled to read his lips.

 _Don't. Move._

Steven saw stars as the breath was knocked out of his body. He fell forward, hearing an angry, fuzzy shriek.

"Get it! Get it! Getitgetitgetigeit!" He felt indiscriminate stomping shudder through the floor.

Steven jumped up, fearing for his fingers.

A small, grayish creature was skittering in the circle of humans, hissing. It moved almost like a crab, or a spider… it dodged a flurry of blows from plastic guns and feet, tiny sparks flying off of it like ash.

SMACK.

"GOT IT!" Grenda bellowed, landing her full weight unto the creature as it dodged a swipe from Soos.

The group "oooed" as the creature burst into countless sparks of dust. They hovered in the air for a moment, the static hiss rising into a painful scream. Then his ears popped, and it was gone.

"That was an awfully realistic g-game of _Spider Stomperz_ …" Candy was whimpering.

Steven looked to Dipper.

"Do you know what that was?!"

Dipper shook his had, rubbing a hand to his forehead.

"No idea."

Their gang regrouped, shaken, but no one had sustained major injuries.

"Oh well…" Wendy said, giving the wrecked game machines a nervous glance. "Par for the course at this point. We should get moving. I'm still hungry if you guys are?"

"Ya dudes, lets go." Soos mirrored her gaze. "Pizza?"

They all murmured agreement.

"Uh, Steven… sorry for kicking you." Wendy shot him a rueful smile.

"It's cool!" Steven replied. "You've got a strong… boot."

"Yeah, that was awesome Wendy!" Mabel gushed.

Steven noticed Dipper was once again lost in thought as they gathered into the car. Steven scooted in next to him, wishing he could focus like that.

"You think it has to do… with me? And Peridot?" He whispered.

Dipper gave his a non-committal shake. "This town is weird even at its baseline, so maybe not."

Steven watched as the arcade, and his promised game of dance dance, roll out of view as Soos pulled away.

"… but, probably."

Steven sighed.


	7. Chapter 7

Peidot held her hands steady, watching as the solder bloomed orange and red as she heated it. Swiftly she pulled the iron and wire away, grinning with satisfaction as the joint cooled.

Not long ago, she might have judged preforming mechanical procedures by hand to be beneath her. But right now, it brought her satisfaction. She was one step closer to being back where she wanted to be.

"Are you done with that?"

She itched as the humans voice grated on her ears.

 _One step closer to getting away from this clod._

She spun the chair around, holding out the finished microchip.

"Yes. You want me to install it as well?" She said curtly.

"No, I can do that." Ford replied. His eyes shifted to the gem on her forehead as he took the part from her. She hated the way he looked at her.

 _Have I been taking the crystals gems attitudes for granted? You'd think I was some kind of freak!_

She spun back around and glowered.

"Ok, I think we can test this." Ford announced, securing the battery pack with a click.

She spun around again.

"How much heat are we using this time?" She insisted, grabbing the remote as Ford leaned down to show her the final installation.

"About 1/3 more. But with the increased control measures it needs more power, and…"

She grumbled. All of the parts looked well soldered, the gem installed, with batteries ready to go. "I'm telling you, we need to be more careful with the heat. Alright, stand back."

She felt a heady rush as she pushed a large button on the device. Rarely had early prototypes for ANYTHING worked as well as their first run. Maybe she'd be proven wrong again.

Her thumb made contact with the mechanism.

Nothing happened.

"Rggghh!" She swatted the remote angrily. It was giving off a persistent _click, click, click, click…._

"Uh-oh." Ford said.

 _Obviously._

"Oh no no no no… HOT!" She flicked the device unto the floor in front of her, leaping back and cradling her singed hand. The remote was glowing hotter, red, orange white… she stumbled back into her chair, landing on her butt.

She was in the blast zone. She held up her arms, wincing against the light.

 _I'm gonna get poofed two times in a row._

There was a fierce crackling, but none of the searing heat she expected. A shadow passed over her, and she squeaked in surprise as she felt Ford cover her with his body.

"AGGGH!" His face was inches from hers. She could see the crack on his glasses, creases in his face as he grimaced in pain.

 _Way too close._

"Whoa! Get off!" She leapt away from the human, glancing over his body to where a small fire was burning a hole into the floor.

She scrambled over Fords body, racing over to the flame. Tears stung the corner of her eyes as ash managed to get under her visor. Reflexively, she stomped on the fire, immediately regretting it.

"Hot… hot… nygh!" She bounced away, relieved to see that her poor feet had halted the fire.

Prototype number 2 sat in smoldering pile. It was beyond useless.

A groan from Ford made her spin around. He was such a large, over confident life form. Surely…

Her mind raced as she suddenly remembered how frail human bodies where. The thought of one catching fire filled her with panic for some reason. Why would this one have willingly taken a blow his body couldn't handle?!

"Are you ok?" She blurted, outlining a raw wound gouged into his back and noting the smell of singed clothing.

To her surprise, he started laughing. "You were right! It was too much heat… ugh…"

 _He's not ok._

No doubt, she was actually _worried_ about the state of this obnoxious lower life form. And that plunged her quickly into anger.

"What is wrong with you?! I-it's not like I would have died from that explosion."

"Really?" Ford croaked. He was leaning on his arms, trying to push himself up. It was pathetic.

"Yes, really! I just would have poofed back into my gem. Like when you ran me over?! It takes more than THAT to mortally wound a well formed gem!"

"I- that's the most you've told me about yourself since you arrived here!"

"ARRIVED!? You CAPTURED me and…"

Peridot gasped as Ford slid back to the ground.

"Stop!" She wailed. "Just… sit there until you heal, or whatever!"

Why was he so _stupid?_

"Get into the top drawer… first on your left… grab the fairy wing gauze…" Ford muttered.

Peridot navigated according to his instructions, but found that the prescribed drawer was locked.

 _Of course._

"It's locked!" She snarled, hoping her tone conveyed her criticism of his paranoia.

"Urgh…" She watched as Ford inched along the ground towards her, apparently unable to stand up. Peridot nervously backed up as he reached the drawer, producing a set of jingling keys from his pocket.

With a click, he unlocked the crude drawer and pulled something out of it.

"Hold this end." Perdiot was handed an airy ball of what appeared to be some kind of tissue, watching as Ford awkwardly wrapped it around his torso, pulling it tight around his back.

"Pffeeeeww…" He sighed. "That's the good stuff. Really takes the edge off."

Peridot was curious in spite of herself. "Does it… seal the wound?" She thought of her robonoids, and their natural ability to fix the warp pads by sealing up cracks with specially formulated fluid.

Ford nodded. "I'm no doctor. But I do know from experiments that infusing gauze with the dust from fairy wings has powerful healing properties."

"What's a "fairy?" Peridot asked.

Ford shook his head. "Noooot important. Urgh." He flinched as he stood up, looming over Peridot once again.

"We can keep doing our research. Let's not get set back."

"But…" Peridot still felt uncomfortable watching Ford hobble around, injured. She had no idea how long it took humans to heal. Probably forever.

"Don't you need to…" She struggled for the right word. "Rest? Sleep? Eat? Bath? One or all of those things?"

Ford laughed, righting Peridot's chair and sitting on it. "All of those things."

But he didn't make any motion to prove this statement.

"Ngh!" Peridot spat, turning and stomping out of the room. He made no motion to stop her, as he often had before.

 _Why did he shield me?_

The explosion had been Ford's fault, after all. But still. He didn't even seem to LIKE her, beyond intrusive curiosity.

Peridot walked into the dark kitchen, rummaging around to find the coffee pot. Stan had showed her how to use it, although he'd tried to make her promise to help him later in exchange.

 _Just like that time with me and Amethyst, I guess..._

Peridot DID understand Ford's actions, although only in a reflective, illogical way. He probably hadn't even thought it through. He just saw that somebody was in danger, and reacted.

Peridot waited anxiously for the slow machines to heat the coffee. Finally, she poured the liquid into two mugs, carefully walking back to the lab.

 _I guess that means he… values my life._ _Even though i'm not an organic life form._ _Even though he knows I was planning to kidnap his relative._

Ford was leaning on the table, pouring over one of those musty books he was always looking at.

Wordlessly she handed him the beverage.

"Ah, thanks." Ford looked up, distracted.

For a moment, they sat in the soft glow of the lab, sipping hot coffee. Peridot relished the sharp taste. Stan had called it "bitter."

Peridot gripped the mug tightly. She really should have… _thanked_ … him.

 _That's what Steven would want me to do, I'm sure of it._

She felt herself blush at the very thought. She hadn't asked him to help her!

Ford sighed deeply and leaned back, distracting her.

"Listen." He said darkly. "This research isn't just about getting you and Steven home. This is about stopping Bill Cipher. I'll take a few lumps for it."

He turned to her, eyes glowing. "With your help, I made significantly more progress than I would had on my own. You see… the portals…"

Peridot let the coffee fog up her visor, trying not to get too nervous.

"…aren't JUST for you and Steven's sake."

Peridot raised an eyebrow.

 _This human think he's real clever._

Ford grabbed the red book, pulling over an empty box for Peridot to sit on. She slowly complied, leaning away from Ford as he slid the book towards her.

"Look at this." He pointed to a drawing on the yellowed page.

Two large circles formed a venn-diagram. Illustrations of stars ringed the outsides of the circles.

"These two large circles are each of our universes." Ford began, pointing to the big empty circles.

"This…" He pointed to the space where the circles overlapped. "This is the in-between space. Or "nothing," or "The void," or "purgatory," it goes by many different names in different cultures. Anyway…"

"Technically, this space doesn't exist. It is the definition of non-existence."

Peridot tapped the "void."

"But Steven and Dipper DID "exist" there."

Ford closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Most beings cannot enter the void unless they have _observed_ it in significant detail, which is of course paradoxical. The void doesn't exist, in our sense at least, until it is _observed._ Steven and Dipper followed an otherworldly being there on accident. Such an event is unprecedented in this universes history."

"But by possessing _both_ Steven and Dipper's memories of the void... two beings from neighboring universes… a highly unique situation…" Ford was hunching his shoulders, winching.

"…this is my hypothesis for why Bill wanted those memories. So he could gain entry into the space between our universes."

Peridot just went and said it.

"Why?"

Ford drew a small triangle in the center of the circles, quickly drawing a blunt line through its center.

Ford's face darkened. "It's a perfect new reality. Bill can shape the in-between into whatever he desires. The ultimate frontier. It must be a dream come true… or rather, a nightmare… Bill Cipher wants to control the void."

"I don't get it." Peridot replied. "Isn't that a GOOD thing? It means he'll leave us alone."

"Hand me that marker." Ford asked.

Ford grabbed the black marker and scribbled some squiggles into the center space of the diagram.

"Think of the in-between like water. If something creates waves within it…" Ford drew furious scribbles in the center of his "water," around the triangle. "It will spill over into the surrounding spaces."

He drew lines splashing into both circles.

Peridot wondered aloud, fascinated by this bizarre scenario. "It's going to create a flood. An overflow of energy?"

All of this seemed like ranting's of a mad gem, but… there was a kind of symmetry to the theories that Peridot enjoyed.

Ford continued to draw. He drew splash after splash, some slopping into Beach City, others heading for Gravity Falls. Finally, he used violent strokes to cover black across all three shapes. Tiny bits of the destroyed circles peeked through.

"Eventually…" Ford gave a weary sigh. "Our universes would be reduced to pure chaos. The void could manifest in all different kinds of ways. It occasionally produces interference on the atomic level even while stable. I have plenty of theories… none of them end well for us."

He shook his head. "It'll be small at first. But it could become noticeable very soon. Or… if im wrong…"

He shrugged. "Nothing will happen. But according to _theory_ …"

Peridot nodded, faster and faster until her voice broke out in a hoarse laugh.

"That is something else! You expect me to BELIEVE all that, just from some scribbles in a book? Who wrote this, anyway?" She sneered.

Ford looked her right in the eyes. "I did."

"Pfffttt… haha!" Perdiot watched Ford's face collapse into frustration. "I- I mean… you DID know a lot of legitimate stuff about the portals. Who knows?! It could all be true! Nothing makes sense anymore anyway!"

"I believe it IS true." Ford slapped his book shut, crossing his arms. "And I wouldn't mind your help in figuring out a way to stop this."

Peridot was overwhelmed, struggling with how to feel, what choices to make.

 _What is he's lying? Or just insane? But what if he's RIGHT?_

 _Just finish the portal back home, at least! Pacify him for now._

"Well. This theory will be partially proven if we can observe this "void" of yours, after it spills into one of out worlds." She mused.

"We don't have much time either way. Correct?"

"You're darn right." Ford answered.

Peridot began to pace alongside the table, swishing what was left of her cold coffee.

"My priority is still returning Steven and myself to our universe. OBVIOUSLY, if this "void" garbage is real, that'll be a new priority."

She halted, studying the remains of the prototype on the floor.

"I'll work with you to stop it. Once again, not like I have a choice." She turned back to Ford just in time to catch him his brief smile of relief.

Peridot felt herself smiling back, a sense of power surging through her. Despite the logical reality, it DID feel like she had made a choice.

"I decided I wanted to protect the earth, right? Does it matter what UNIVERSE the earth happens to be in?!"

Ford shrugged. "Where ARE you from, anyway…"

His eyes shifted. "Before we begin the next prototype… would you mind telling me a little bit more about your race?" He picked up his book and marker, holding it over a blank page with relish.

Peridot remembered the wound along his back, the pain he had spared her with a single selfless gesture. He had shared a lot of information with her in short period of time. In a way… her life had become infinitely richer as a result of this disaster. It seemed obvious to her now, and she wondered how she had ever lived without knowing she had billions of new things to learn.

With a hint of self-conscious embarrassment, she noticed that Ford was sketching her exactly as she was, one arm on her hip as she stood with a mug in the other hand.

"Sure. I'll tell you a bit about the gems, only the most powerful race of sentient life in the universe!"

She grinned, throwing out her arms. If Ford was that determined to turn her a data log, she might as well look cool for it.


	8. Chapter 8

"Would you like more Mabel juice, Dipper?"

Mabel smiled at her twin, braces gleaming. Dipper blinked, the morning light stinging his tired eyes.

"No thanks." He grumbled.

"I'll have some!" Steven said brightly. Dipper turned to him and grimaced, but Steven replied with a confused shrug.

They were having an early breakfast. Dipper lapped up some cereal, mind still working through the mysteries of the previous night.

"I wish Ford would wake up." He muttered. "Still gotta talk to him about that spider thing."

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Steven asked, clearly concerned.

Dipper shook his head. "I was trying to see what I could figure out…"

They looked up as a loud conversation started heading towards the kitchen.

"… no, no, that's not right! You CAN'T let it end like THAT!" It was Peridot's voice. "I'm not doing it. Change it!"

"Ugh… let's get a second opinion then." Stan's rumbling voice followed hers.

Dipper raised his eyebrows. "What now?"

The pair burst into the kitchen. Stan was dressed for his job, complete with his cane.

"Umhm, Grunckle Stan…" Dipper said. "Isn't there a tour like… soonish?"

He threw his hands up. "Yes! But Peridot and I are having… creative differences."

Peridot huffed. "There's no DEPTH to his story! No drama or anything! It's shallow and _unrealistic_!"

Stan rolled his eyes and slumped. "It's a 25 minute tour! And that's the DELUXE package! You're just there to drive up ticket prices! It hardly needs to be a compelling drama."

Peridot crossed her arms. "Try quality. Some self respect. It sounds like you made it up in five minutes."

"I DID make it up in five minutes!"

Mabel nodded to Stan. "Tch tch. Business integrity!"

Dipper laid his head down on the table. "Are you serious? Peridot, just… what?"

"She's in the show!" Stan glanced to his wrist, sliding a big fancy watch out of his sleeve. Probably stolen. "It's almost time! Just… let's wing it! Improv!"

Peridot was still standing stiffly.

Steven spoke up. "Awww, Peridot, just try it. It sounds fun! Actually, can I uh… go on the tour!?" He held his breath, even as Dipper sunk his face deeper into the table.

"Ya got 45 bucs? HEY!" Stan grunted as Mable punched him in the knee. Dipper cheered his sister on internally.

"Fine! Go to the front of the shack and stand with the rest of those stiffs!"

Steven gasped with delight. "Peridot, I'll see you in the show right?" He leapt off his seat, ready to go.

"Seriously…" Dipper groaned.

Stan wasn't paying them any attention, still trying to wrangle Peridot into his scam. To Dipper's annoyance, Mabel and Steven were already heading towards the door.

Mabel was gabbing. "I remember my fist Mystery Shack Tour like it was yesterday.."

"Dipper… we'll wait for you…" Steven called.

Peridot was giving Ford a noncommittal "hmmmm…."

"Here." Stan slid a watch off his wrist, dangling in front of Peridot's face. "I'm letting Steven in the tour, AND you can HAVE this… for a limited time _only!"_

Peridot snatched the watch, rubbing her fingers along its face and tugging at the straps. It was a handsome thing, a rich russet color with leather straps.

"Wow, thanks." She said. "But what's it do?" She asked.

Stan rolled his eyes again and frowned. "It shoots lasers… pffff, of course n-"

"Are you serious?" Peridot sounded impressed.

Stan's face reversed into a grin. "Yes! I'll… explain it to you after the show!"

"Stan. Wow. Just… wow." Dipper glared at his gruncle.

Peridot was messing with the buttons on the watch in frustration. "I don't think this is a weapon of any kind…"

Dipper sighed. Stan was out of control.

He jumped off his seat, reaching for the watch. He tugged as Peridot refused to let go.

"Let… me… I'm gonna show you how it really works!" He griped.

"Hold out your hand." He ordered, finally getting a hold of the watch.

Rather awkwardly, Perdiot held up a limp wrist. She glared at Dipper so intensely he almost dropped the watch.

"Here… you just… get this latch here, and…" He stopped talking, unable to verbalize his actions. Even at the highest notch, the watch was nearly falling off Peridot's slender arm. He didn't dare look at her face.

He tapped the screen. "This tells the current time. You're… familiar with… time?" Dipper was shocked at how stupid he sounded.

Peridot seemed to agree. "Obviously! These numbers inform me of the current stage of the earth's rotation. Around the sun. As in… days?"

"Hours and minutes." Dipper corrected her. But he wasn't about to give a lesson on telling time, and backed up. "Anyway, so that's what it does. You wear it on your body, and look at it for the time. Amazing. You're welcome."

Peridot held up her wrist, seeming intrigued. "It's certainty… primitive. That's ALL it can do?"

Stan coughed. "That's not ALL! It has a timer, AND an alarm!"

"Hmmm. Ok." Peridot said, still considering her prize. Then she turned to Stan, crossing her arms.

"I'll do your show. MY way. And when Ford wakes up, I'm not working for you _anymore_."

Stan paced in a circle. "WHATEVER! Just come on! I'll show you where to hide! Wait for my cue, like we practiced!"

* * *

Peridot waited in the cramped darkness of the air vent, peering through the shafts as she waited for Ford to bluster into the room with the army of human "tourists."

She sighed. What was she _doing?_

"…HERE, you can see the remains of a real life… fairy!"

Peridot heard a few muttered "ohh," peering through the blinds and glimpsing a crowd of human huddled around some display.

 _Easily amused. Wait 'till they see ME!_

"Haha, wow! That's really weird!"

She heard Steven's voice over the din, answered by an annoyed snort from Dipper. They HAD to be here too, of course.

She patted her knees, feeling nervousness well up inside of her chest. She'd never seen that many humans in one place before.

 _Just wait for his cue._

She heard Stan's voice boom rather loudly next to her. He was close to the vent…

"… and THAT'S when it got LOOSE! It could be in here with us..."

Peridot leaned harder into the grate. Was that her cue?! It was, right?!

"Pssst. Can you see what's goin on out there?"

A whisper sounded behind her.

"WAGGGGHH!"

She failed her arms, forcing the loosened grate open. She glimpsed eyes behind her as she tumbled out unto the floor, landing with a painful thud.

"Ohhhh… ouch."

A hushed shout and the sound of many phones being lifted into the air greeted her.

"OH MY GOODNESS!"

She lifted her head, watching as Stan leapt back and pointed at her with his cane.

"There it is!"

Stars sparkled in her vision. She could feel the heat of many, many eyes on her.

 _What was I supposed to say?_

"AGGH!"

She finally leapt up, pointing at Stan with a wavering finger.

"This isn't what we agreed upon!" She screamed.

The crowd gave a hushed gasp. She heard somebody give a tiny "woo;" probably Steven.

"Uhhh…" Stan was stalling. "I NEVER agreed to that! I can't work with alien scum like you!"

Peridot gasped, feeling legitimate anger ignite in her chest. Wasn't this pretend?

"S-shut up, you clod! You're wrong!"

Peridot bit her lip.

 _What do I say?! What do I say?!_

She groped around her memory, trying to find the words.

"I don't care if you're on the human team!" She cried. "We can make this work!"

Stan's face almost broke twisted a laugh. Peridot didn't dare turn to the crowd.

 _Will he say it?!_

"Umm… what was it… Oh!" Stan answered, still posed.

"This is a war!" He cried.

"Doesn't that mean anything to you?!"

Peridot was buzzing with amazement.

 _This is amazing. I love this._

She could feel that heat from the crowd again, all those eyes. Fear transformed into exhilaration, then back to fear again. She felt like she was on fire.

She leaned back, placing her hand over her forehead.

"Don't you understand?! If you do what I say, they'll never catch us!"

She jolted as a loud crash shook the room.

Was this part of the show?

Stan had turned to face the other side of the room, and the crowd was humming with surprise.

"Whoa…. Uhhh…"

A high hiss was filling the room. A terrible sense of anticipation filled the air.

Something was in the room with them. Some kind of alien presence.

"Peridot!" Somebody blurted her name.

An unknown life-form faced her. It's form shifted like sand, the hissing loudly as it bounded towards her in slow motion.

It's face spilt open, revealing a cavernous maw. Pure darkness swirled beyond it.

 _Could this be…_

The thing snarled, lunging towards her. It swept across the floor so fast that she had no time to react.

She gasped lightly as the monster took her body in its jaws. The air was shuddering. She could see the wood grain in the floor, hear someone cry out distantly.

She was being torn apart. Back and forth, back and forth, she felt her consciousness jerk from something to nothing. Again and again. It was so incomprehensibly violent, it didn't even really _hurt._

Then she was falling.

She heard fighting, yelling. Something screamed. She opened her eyes and watched Stan beat some kind of stuffed critter into the head of the real monster. The crowd was "ohhhing" and "awwwing."

The world swayed. Was she going to poof? Somehow, it didn't feel like it.

She heard a throbbing scream as the static hiss rose. She watched as Stan brought his cane across the beasts body, splintering it into a billion tiny shards of sparkling dust.

The crowd burst into applause.

Stan had been right. The show had gone over just fine when it was completely improvised. She lay on the floor, still smarting with pain.

"Peridot!" Steven was rushing over.

"W-what?" she croaked.

"Are you hurt?!" Steven said.

"Nono no!" Peridot growled, watching as the static dust flickered into nothing at her touch, followed by intense relief. Her body felt bruised but not broken, although she was stuck with a chilling sense of dread.

"Wow!" Stan was breathless, brandishing a handful of green stacks of papers-money. "That's the most exciting tour I've ever given! That "alien" showed up at just the right time and everything!"

Peridot flushed with anger. "I was ATTACKED!"

 _Ford would never behave this way!_

Steven and his friends gathered alongside her, glaring at Stan.

He shrugged. "Whatever it was, it's gone. No thanks for saving you, I guess. What was that, anyway?"

Peridot struggled to slow her breathing as the kids crowded around her, trying to make sure she was ok.

"It…"

 _The void could manifest in all different kinds of ways._

Ford's voice echoed in her memories.

"It was the void."

 _"…I have plenty of theories… none of them end well for us."_

She might have been a member of the most powerful race in the universe, but what they were dealing with existed beyond her capabilities alone.

* * *

"… and THIS…"

Dipper watched in rapture as Ford pointed to the marks he drawn her over his venn diagram.

"… is the rouge bits of the void that have spilled into our universe. Even our anti-weirdness barrier couldn't keep them out. These are the "creatures" that attacked you kids at the arcade, and Peridot today in the Shack."

"Wow…" Steven muttered, sitting next to him as they took in Ford's complex lecture.

"I have a name for this phenomenon. The void wanders aimlessly, seeking to return to whence it came. I think it is drawn to aberrations in the dimensional space… namely, Steven and Peridot, who hail from a different universe. I have a name for this phenomenon."

He took in a deep breath.

"I call it the "Void Dragon."

Dipper's brain was overwhelmed with all of this new information.

"Is it going to keep attacking? How often? How can we BEAT it?" The questions rushed out all at once.

Ford tapped the whiteboard.

"That's what Peridot and I are working on…" He sighed. "We just have to hold it together until we can finalize a plan."

"You'll come up with something!" Steven said. "Between the two of you, it should be easy."

Peridot coughed. "Thank you, Steven." She was still working on the portal remote devices, hiding in the shadows behind Ford.

"Ugh, no way!"

Dipper watched as the green gem hustled out of the shadows and held up the remote. "Were are the back up batteries?" She demanded.

Ford slumped. "I just GAVE you the back up batteries."

Peridot froze. "We're OUT of batteries?! AGGH!"

She failed wordlessly for a second.

"We're almost DONE!" She wheezed. "Steven and I NEED to go back! That… that THING will come back BEFORE we can! And we're out of BATTERIES!?"

Ford sighed. "Next time, let's do solar power."

"Or GEM power!" Peridot whined. "ANYTHING but these archaic… out of batteries…"

Steven spoke up. "Uh, hey, we can get some for you. Let's go, Dipper! We can take the kart into town!" Steven gave an open mouthed smile.

His enthusiasm was catching, but Dipper glanced to the lab, alive with notes, parts, experiments and ideas.

"Uhhhh…." He began, but Steven was glowing. Maybe he would just get in Ford and Peridot's way...

"Ok." He gave in. "Let's run chores. For science."


	9. Chapter 9

Cool evening air rushed over Steven as he and Dipper opened up the convenient stores doors, holding a bag full of AA batteries. The sun was setting over Gravity Falls, an achingly rich shade of orange.

They strolled over the Mystery Kart, parked haphazardly on the sidewalk.

"Where's Stan?" Dipper asked, searching for their reluctant ride.

Steven shrugged. "Maybe he went somehow to relax?"

Dipper growled, glancing in the direction of the Greasy Diner.

"Let's check it out."

Steven was more than happy to visit the diner again, this time under somewhat better circumstances. Still, he couldn't help but notice how Dipper glanced around the empty streets, as if he was waiting for something to pounce out of the shadows. And maybe something WAS hiding in the shadows… although that telltale hissing was absent.

Steven relished the scent of greasy food in the diner, living up to it's name. Stan was sitting a booth, a huge plate of breakfast in front of him.

Dipper dumped the bag of batteries on the table.

"Grnuckle Stan, shouldn't we go home?" Dipper asked.

Stan plunged a fork into his pancake. "I'm celebrating my haul for today! You kids can join me."

Dipper looked annoyed. "You don't take Ford seriously enough."

"Well…" Steven said, wanting to avoid conflict. "We ate at home, but… it looks really good…"

Dipper appeared about to give in, but then his eyes lit up. "Hey Steven, let's go to the arcade! We can play that dance dance game we missed!"

Steven gasped with delight.

"Yes! You're so smart, Dipper!"

Dipper grinned. "Let's go."

The two boys headed down the sidewalk, Stan making no motion to stop them. Dipper gave an abandoned soda can a kick, sending it clattering down the street.

"I can't believe Stan's focused on making money and EATING at a time like this!" Dipper vented. "He SAW Peridot get mauled by that thing! But he still acts like it's not real!"

"Hmmmm…" Steven tried to see the situation from grumpy Stan's point of view.

"Maybe he's just making the most of a bad situation? I mean… you still gotta eat." He smiled.

"Huh." Dipper gave Steven a grateful glance. "That's one way of looking at it, I guess. Doesn't help to stay mad about it. Hey, we're here!"

The cave of the arcade enveloped Steven once again.

The two boys hastened their pace towards _Ho-Down Hero_. Steven felt his heart start to pound with excitement.

No matter what happened now, he would still get his second game of dance dance with Dipper.

Dipper spoke as he inserted quarters into both sides. "I just hate it when people watch you. That's why I never practice alone. But you did! You're way better than me at this now."

Steven shook his head, navigating into the red zones on the difficulty slider.

"Let's see who's good NOW!" He jumped unto the START button, and the game went insane, drowning out Dipper's mocking protests.

A kaleidoscope of colors matched the trap-jazz-country-techno as Steven grit his teeth, frantically trying to keep up. He glanced at Dipper, who was gripping the bars, flailing his legs as he chased the arrows.

Steven started to laugh. "Two percent!" He called, announcing his current score. "Beat THAT!"

Dipper was holding his sides, laughing and grimacing at the same time. Steven listened for the beat of Dipper's feet with his body, trying to match up with his friend's movements.

"AHHHHHH…. POINT FIVE PERCENT!" Dipper roared, just as the song screamed to an end.

"AHHH-MAZ-ING!" Steven cried, heart pounding as threw out his hand for a high five. Adrenaline was racing through him, despite the fact that this mostly empty arcade hadn't witnessed their triumph.

With people like Dipper beside him, Steven Universe knew he could accomplish anything. He wasn't afraid of the void, or dragons, or Bill Cipher.

This time, Dipper spread his arm out, and their hands clapped together with a triumphant smack. He caught a glimpse of Dippers grinning face, feeling a bright pink glow between them.

He gasped.

GAME OVER! CONTINUE…?

 _Hey… why am I in the middle of the dance pads now?_

 _Did everything just get shorter?_

He reached out and touched the screens with his left hand, flicking it back in alarm.

 _What the heck is wrong with my hand?!_

He held his hands up, turning them over to examine them. The right one was almost normal, but the left one was alive with twisting, overlapping marks that flowed effortlessly from straight lines into elegant curves.

 _Kind of like that "body art" Mabel does._

He could see an image in his head of Mabel scribbling all over her arm with permanent marker. It was kind of like a memory, but it also felt he was seeing this visage of Mabel for the first time.

He blinked, noticing again how he was standing squarely in the center of the two dance pads. He lifted up his feet; he was wearing tennis shoes with short socks. He wasn't wearing sandals anymore.

 _What happened to my sandals…? Oh!_

"OHHHHH!" He said aloud, the sound of his own voice almost too deep, like it wasn't really HIS voice.

"OHH WHAT?" He grabbed his head, and stumbling off the dance dance pad in a sudden panic. "What do you mean? Steven?!" He looked around frantically, trying to find somebody who wasn't there.

He began to blush, anxiety spreading across his body like fire. He turned in a frantic circle, making sure that nobody could see him in this corner of the arcade.

"What IS this?" He whispered aloud. He touched his face, running his fingers down sharper counters than he was used to. His nose was too long, and his hair, it was too coarse… his arms felt like they had way more fat and muscle than he was used to…

"Calm down, Dipper it's ok, I mean WE are ok…"

"Hey… who's that?"

A voice sounded behind him. It was _Wendy!_ She was at the arcade with her friends!

He caught her gaze, burning with curiosity. He felt like he was going to dissolve.

His body fled into the bathroom, wanting to see himself before he did anything else.

He was staring at a young male teenager, eyes wide with shock.

He looked so much more mature! His face possessed a rather appealing blend of soft and sharp features, and his eyes…

Almost not daring to breathe, he leaned and gazed into his own eyes. One was a much lighter shade of brown than the other.

He gasped and pulled back. He braced himself against the sink, avoiding his own gaze in the smudged mirror.

 _This is weird, this is weird, what is this…_

He squeezed his eyes shut. Terror was trying flood into his mind, but something was holding it back.

 _This is ok! This is great! I understand how you feel, but we shouldn't be afraid._

Taking a heavy breath, he backed up and faced himself in the mirror.

He still had his hat, at least, but it could barely cover the large poof of dark brown hair. And it had a blue star on it. He was wearing his blue jacket and his red shirt, but it had a yellow pine tree on it. He seemed to be wearing blue jeans, which was wrong, but still felt right.

The best part was the tattoo.

 _It's not a tattoo?_

 _It's a birthmark._

He lifted up his bangs, tracing the little-dipper shaped birthmark on his forehead.

 _It's so huge and ugly. I always hated it._

 _No way, look at it!_

He traced his finger down the single constellation into an entire galaxy.

A complex stream of celestial relationships flowed down his face, his neck, his shoulder… the nebula split out unto his arms, flowing back around his back. Finally, it curved its way around his right torso into a series of spirals on his belly.

At the center of this galaxy was a round pink gem.

His heart was racing. When he touched the markings, he could feel a sense of otherness. Complexity stretched out in every direction, infinitely wonderful and equally terrifying. Standing in a dirty arcade bathroom, he could feel that he was _alive._

"This is amazing. We fused!" He said to himself.

 _Like a gem fusion? Seriously?_

 _Yes!_

He already knew what gem fusion was, but now he felt like he knew even more, while simultaneously remaining confused.

Suddenly he didn't want to be in the bathroom anymore.

 _We can't show anybody!_

 _Why not? We should show everybody!_

He stepped out into the arcade, nearly knocking his hat off on the doorway.

But Wendy and her gang blocked the way.

He backed into the door.

 _Oh no._

 _It's ok! I think they like us!_

The group of humans was staring at them, looking terribly awestruck. Wendy shot him a quick glance, brushing her hair behind her ear and blushing slightly a moment after she made eye contact.

"…go say hello!"

"I've never seen him at school, have you?"

"…thinks he's cool, ignoring us…"

 _They're talking about me! This is scary._

"Hello!" He awkwardly raised a hand.

 _We can't handle this?!_

"Goodbye!" He strolled out of the arcade in huge strides, escaping the humans as fast as he could.

"Hey! Wait!" Wendy called after him, but he didn't dare look back.

He felt like he didn't really know them. Or perhaps he knew them in a different way.

He bolted out the door. Everything seemed sharper, brighter than before. He could feel the town in a new way.

He glanced up at the sky, still too dim for stars.

 _I want to see the stars._

 _Me too._

He ran.

Power surged through his limbs, his anxiety transforming into kinetic energy. He raced past the blurry lights of cars and houses, eyes focused on the treeline.

 _I know a good place!_

He ran, faster and faster. He saw the place he wanted to go in his mind. With each step, it came into sharper focus. He could see a vast sky echoing over hills. He could smell the fresh scent of grass, hear the gentle rush of a distant surf. He ran until he couldn't feel his legs, euphoria exploding like fireworks in his head.

 _I can go anywhere I want!_

 _No. Not quite._

 _I can BE anywhere I want!_

There was a bright blue glow, and then he felt himself let go.

It was like flying. The air was crackling all around him.

And then he was there.

There was sky, velvety blue fading into black. Stars danced above him. He raised his arms up, laughing. He felt like he was one of them. In that instant, he could feel an infinite multitude of universe inside himself, as well as in the sky. He wanted to UNDERSTAND all of it with a passion he hadn't felt before. He didn't just want to KNOW, he wanted to BE there!

He gasped.

The birthmark was glowing, but not just on his skin. It had spread out, the complex symbols reaching into the horizon, up beyond the stars, swirling around him with fervor. But this wasn't just chaos. There was an order to it.

 _Hey… where AM I?_

He gazed across the smooth hills, turning around to see a red barn resting close by. A huge pile of mechanical equipment sat in front of it. Familiar stars glittered above him.

 _Oh! It's just the barn…_

 _Wait! This is…_

"Beach City!" He gasped aloud.

* * *

Discovering he was a whole universe away from where he'd been was a shock. It made both halves of him pull away, causing his glowing to fade away.

 _Wait! Let's try to find the gems first!_

He felt a strong sense of joy and curiosity at once. Finding the gems would confirm that this was indeed Beach City. And he would reunite with the crystal gems!

He knew where to go.

He bolted down the hill, heading for the shoreline.

 _It'll be easiest to follow the beach home._

He streamed down towards to ocean, feeling dirt turn to sand under his feet. He was careful not to overwhelm himself with energy this time, preferring a gentle stroll on long to a full-on sprint. Water splashed against his shoes.

 _This is sort of familiar…_

 _Like that time with Connie. Or the first time I was on this beach, stranded._

His thoughts flowed through each like water, mixing together and becoming one.

He was so distracted by his internal experience that he didn't notice the commotion until he ran right into it.

"Watch it!"

He skidded to a halt as someone cried out.

"Where the heck does that guy think he's going?"

He recognized that whine.

"Lars! Sadie!"

The two clerks where standing on the beach, and had been facing the Big Donut before Steven and Dipper had nearly run them over.

They studied him with wide eyes, clearly surprised.

Lars was open mouthed, eyes reflecting a slight blue glow.

"That's some sick ink…" he said breathlessly.

He was about to reply when he was cut off by yells and screams from inside the restaurant. He tensed, eager to help.

He didn't heed the clerk's warnings as he bounded through the door.

 _Wait. Don't you recognize that sound?_

It was a low electrical hum. Like static.

And the voices of the crystal gems where cutting through it.

As he burst into the restaurant, strewn with donuts and overturned chairs, he faced a familiar scene.

The crystal gems where battling a monster.

"Get it, Amethyst!" Pearl's voice was raw with irritation.

Amethyst grunted. "I'm TRYING!"

He aimed her whip at a skittering gray creature, much like the one that had clung to Steven's back but much larger, with a curved, scorpion like tail. It dodged the attack nimbly, swiping at the purple gem with it's spiked tail.

 _I should help!_

"HEY!" A commanding voice distracted him from the fight. "I thought I told them to keep other humans away from here!"

It was Garnet, clenching her huge fists.

 _We found them._

"GUYS!" He cried, filled with joy. "I found you!"

For a moment he stood awkwardly, Pearl, Garnet, and Pearl all facing him, poised for battle.

"Uhh… do we know you?" Amethyst said.

But before he could answer, the scorpion beast suddenly lunged forward. Straight for him. He barely had to time to properly panic.

Almost instinctually, he reached out his arm to defend himself. He flooded it with energy, suddenly staining the restaurant a rich blue. The crystal gems gave a collective gasp of shock.

His fingers cut through the monster's form as if it was made of water, but his palm meet something solid. He found some kind of central energy within it, and for a moment he held it there. A whirlwind of raver sharp limbs howled around his head.

 _What should we do?!_

He closed his fingers into a fist, squeezing his eyes shut.

A huge burst of neon blue energy tore through the monster. It gave a single scream, and then exploded into a million bits of sparkling dust.

"Wow." He said.

Nothing but stunned silence answered him. The crystal gems examined him with keen eyes, each one looking terribly confused. The haze of static danced through the room like starlight.

He could feel heat building in his chest, sweat beading on his forehead.

 _They don't know who I am!_

 _This is so awkward._

Finally Garnet stepped forward.

"Who are you?"

"Uh…"

The words caught in his throat.

 _I'm…_

 _Who AM I?_

 _Who are WE?_

 _I am ME?!_

"Ummm…." He stood like a statue, clenching his fists. He'd been rendered mute by the crushing sensation in his chest. He knew these people well, but he wasn't sure HOW.

 _I can't do this anymore!_

He felt like he couldn't breathe.

 _I'm so confused!_

They finally let go.

* * *

Dipper was blinded by a bright blue flash, feeling himself return.

He was Dipper again. His body was floating through the air, his hand reaching out for Steven Universe.

"Ufff!" Dipper grunted as his butt slammed into the floor.

"Steven?!" He gasped, getting to his feet and turning in a frantic circle. The fantastic sensation of being something ELSE was fading from his body in prickly waves, leaving him almost blind with disorientation.

He slammed his hands to his head. "I'm Dipper, It's me, Dipper Pines. Hahaha!" He pulled his hands away, seeing that they bore no unusual markings. He tried to slow his breathing.

A familiar laugh answered his own. "And I'm Steven Universe!"

Steven was sitting up across from him, grinning with what seemed to be mixture of relief and pain.

They looked at each other, sharing a sense of awe.

"Ummm… what WAS that?" Dipper stammered.

Steven flexed his short fingers, studying his hands before looking at Dipper.

"Fusion!"

Dipper nodded his head, trying to make sense of what happened. He could feel the fusions power bleeding out of his limbs.

"Fusion?! Steven, is that you?!"

A jolt tore through Dipper's body as he remembered the gems presence. It didn't seem any less awkward then before, and he wished he could vanish right back into Gravity Falls the way they had come.

And then all three gems rushed forward, bombarding Steven with affection.

"Dude! Are you ok?"

"Tell us what happened, Steven. Oh, Steven, it really is you!"

It could have the shock of fusion or the disorientation of being in another Universe, but Dipper's head was spinning. He shakily got to his feet, startled as somebody steadied him.

Pearl had placed a hand to his back, helping him up.

"Hello, Dipper Pines." She said. "This is a surprise."

"Ha!" Dipper laughed hoarsely. "You're telling me!"


	10. Chapter 10

"THERE! Haha, I win!"

Peridot stood up and crossed her arms, adorned with a trove of plastic green jewelry. The sweater Mabel had given her fit her nicely as well.

Mabel leaned back, frowning.

"Man… I've lost like fives games in a row…" She shook her head. "Stupid black diamond…"

Peridot shrugged, twirling her beaded green necklace.

"This system is based almost entirely on luck. It's not exactly strategic. Insultingly simple, really."

"That's what Dipper said the one time I got him to play it… Probability, blah, math, blah…" Mabel flopped unto the floor, facing the ceiling. "Where you YOU think Dipper and Steven are, Peridot?"

Peridot plopped to the floor as well, jewelry jingling.

"I- I don't know." She replied grimly.

As if to answer her, a loud slam sounded from deeper in the shack. I sounded like the front door.

She and Mabel sat up, immediately heading for the room's exit.

"Is it Stan and Ford?!" Mabel cried. "Oh, I hope they found those dorks…"

 _Same. I shouldn't have let Steven out of my sight._

Mabel had been correct. The human brothers had stomped into the house, and a quick study of their body language forced Peridot to lower her expectations.

"… no, Mabel, we checked there… I don't know…" Stan was muttering to his niece, who pestered him with worried questions.

Peridot approached Ford, nervously toying with her necklace.

"Sooo… what DID you find then? Any clues?" She didn't make eye contact, looking away. The mood in the Mystery Shack was grim. It bleed into Peridot's own feelings, compounding her worry over Steven.

 _Ford confining me to this stupid house isn't helping._

Ford gave a frustrated sigh.

"It seems like they were last seen at the arcade. Something odd seems to have happened there…" He looked down at Peridot, raising his eyebrows. "What are you wearing?"

 _WHOOPS._

Peridot grabbed the bottom of Mabel's garment and pulled it off, decorating the floor with scattered princess accessories.

"Nothing." She replied flatly. "It's nothing."

Ford's face broke into a smile, enraging her. "It looked good on you."

Peridot clenched her fists. "Do you mean that?!"

"No." Ford replied in a mocking tone, his eyes suddenly lighting up as he studied her.

"Hey, this that MY watch? My old watch from college?!"

Peridot grabbed her wrist, almost as if to hide the watch. "No, it's MY watch. Stan gave it to me."

Ford was glaring at his twin, who shrugged.

"What? I... forgot it was yours."

"Sure you did." Ford replied, waving a hand dismissively. "Peridot, look at the back."

Eyes narrowed with suspicion, she unlocked the straps and turned the watch's face over.

Letters had been carefully engraved into the surface:

 _Stanford Filbrick Pines_

"This doesn't have the symbols for "Ford" anywhere." She said, leaning back as Ford leaned down and grabbed the straps. She didn't let go.

"That's my full name." Ford replied, appearing to get lost in thought as he studied the object.

 _Is he seriously gonna take it from me?!_

Suddenly Ford released the watch, standing up.

"It's fine. You can have it, Peridot."

"Good." She replied sharply, then felt self conscious. "I mean, thanks."

Ford gave her a distracted nod.

Mabel was darting around, finally giving an insistent request. "Can I put up my "LOST" posters for Steven and Dipper now?"

"Might as well." Stan turned and headed deeper into the house, with Mabel trailing him. "I gotta make some phone calls first."

 _What am I supposed to do? Will they let me leave to look for Steven? What about…_

"What about the portal?" She said to Ford, who seemed torn about following the other humans.

Ford began to shake his head.

"We have to find the boys first."

To her surprise, he turned and opened the door. Cool early morning air rushed inside.

"Wait!" Peridot called after him. "Where are you going?! Let me come with you!"

She rushed the door as Ford closed it, forcing her arms between the doorframe and the wall.

 _UGH! He' just IGNORING me!_

"No." Ford said firmly, glaring down at her from the opposite side of the door. "You stay here. You stand out too much. You'll drag down my search."

His words stung more than her half-crushed arms.

"STAN!" Ford yelled into the house.

"Steven's MY companion! I have a right to search for him! HEY!"

She gasped as massive hands yanked her up by her shoulders. She failed angrily, swiping and kicking at air.

"I'll keep on eye on her." Stan grumbled, his ugly face right next to hers. "You think we missed something?"

"I want to go back to the arcade and talk to the owner." Ford replied.

His waved through the door.

"Sorry, Peridot. I hope I can find Steven too."

"I'll remember this!" She roared, kicking at the door. "You CLOD!"

She squeaked as Stan swung through the air, landing her down on the floor with surprising deftness.

He rubbed his temples distractedly.

"Come help Mabel print those posters. The machines jammed, and I can't figure it out."

She blinked. She'd expected him to threaten him, not disarm her with a request for help.

He pleaded at her with his eyes.

"C'mon. Please? You're _so good_ with technology."

Peridot stood up, feeling herself cool down.

"Uh-fine. I'll help."

* * *

LOST: Two dorky kids! About 12. Answer to "Dipper," "Steven" but "Hey you!" might work! Please Call...

Peridot gathered the stack of posters, still warm from the copy machine. She could barely see over them, but this would save her a repeat trip.

She carefully stomped into the living room, plopping the stack down with an audible "ompf."

"There." She brushed her hands, satisfied with herself for not spilling the papers everywhere. "100 flyers, just like you wanted."

She peeked around the stack, waiting for a reply. The back of their big puffy chair faced her- a couch, that's what it was called.

"Hello?" She grumbled, frustrated that they didn't even seem to care about the chore SHE'D accomplished for them.

She crept into the living room, starting to feel nervous as she heard a droning sound within.

 _Not again...!_

She noticed a human hand resting on the edge of the couch. There was no movement.

Sweating, she rounded the corner into the room.

There sat Mabel and Stan, heaped together on the couch. A rough, rhythmic sound was rumbling from Stan's chest as he slept.

She put her hands on her hips, examining them as she let herself relax.

Stan's slouching body consumed most of the furniture, while Mabel sat on his knee. She leaned into her relative, mouth half open.

They were asleep!

It was fascinating how organic life could have evolved something so undesirable as sleep. The two humans lay completely exposed to attack. Worse yet, they were accomplishing nothing. What was the point? Steven and Amethyst really oversold it…

 _I hope I never try it!_

Peridot took in a deep breath, ready to shout them awake.

 _Wait!_

 _The portal._

 _You can go test the final prototype. No one will stop you. No one will know. You can go home._

She stood, staring beyond the sleeping humans.

 _What about Steven? I won't leave without Steven._

 _The gems can help you look for him. Right?_

She padded deeper into the house, thankful for her slight stature.

 _Ford wanted to wait. You know it's dangerous. He'll be mad._

"So what…" she muttered, a thrill of excitement flooding through her as she opened the lab's door.

 _He left it unlocked. He was distracted._

The door gave a creak, the pale greenish light from the monitors bleeding into the hallway. Cool air wafted over her feet as she stepped inside.

Peridot was in Ford's lab unsupervised.

Grinning, she searched the table for the portal remote. It was right where she had left it.

She chuckled to herself, alone in the darkened room.

 _Too easy._

She flung the remote forward, preparing to press the button.

She took a deep breath, still mentally steeling herself to open a portal to Beach City.

Her thumb quivered slightly, memories of the test that had literally exploded in her face vibrating in her mind.

 _Are you AFRAID?!_

 _No! But…_

She and Ford had worked together, every step of the way. This was _their_ invention. It was safer to work in pairs, too. Maybe she shouldn't do this alone.

 _He doesn't even TRUST me! I don't owe that clod anything! Push it!_

Peridot made a choking gasp, the remote burning in her hands. She quickly set it back down on the table, crawling into a chair and curling into a ball. Indecision paralyzed her.

 _Maybe you should give him a reason to trust you._

Absently, she looked at some notes that lay scattered on the table. Penned in Ford's neat handwriting, some of it looked new. Her eyes darted across them, wondering why Ford hadn't shared this part of his research with her yet.

She still didn't grab the remote.

Peridot was nearly knocked from the chair as loud voices sounded from upstairs, causing her to scramble.

"What?! Where is she?!"

It was Ford's voice.

And he sounded mad.

 _I gotta get outta here!_

But it was too late. Loud stomping echoed down the hall, punctuated by a massive shadow that blotted out the hallway.

Panic electrified her body.

 _Run! Run! Run!_

 _No! You don't need to run. You didn't do anything wrong._

"PERIDOT!"

Ford thundered into the room like an Earth rainstorm.

Slowly, she peeked around the chair.

"Y-yes?" she croaked.

Ford gusted over to her, his big brown coat billowing behind him. He blew past her, snatched up the remote and started examining the room.

"Why are you down here? Did you do anything?! Answer me!"

Peridot shook her head, shrinking as Ford turned his furious gaze to her.

"No." She muttered, trying not to sound so small. "I didn't do anything."

She looked away, head pounding.

"I didn't. I promise. Ok!? I didn't mess with anything in your precious lab."

Ford ran a hand through his hair, puffing air of his nose. He sat down on the floor, settling into a rather subdued rainstorm.

"I'm sorry." He muttered. "I'm just so worried. All of this… and now the kids go missing? It's too much."

He winced, gently rubbing his back.

Peridot let her body relax a little, leaning across the chairs arm. Ford suddenly seemed vulnerable.

"Yeah. It's bad. Everything is always bad." She agreed numbly, no longer expecting the human to attack her.

"Here."

Peridot's eyes widened as Ford held out his hand.

With the remote in it.

"Test it. If this works, at least we'll have gotten that far."

"R-really?" She stammered, carefully letting him hand her their invention.

"Yes." He held her gaze, making her feel uncomfortable.

Ford suddenly turned turned his attention to the remote. "It should be calibrated to the inside of Steven Universes house."

 _That was efficient of him._

Still shaking a bit, she got off the chair and moved to the center of the room.

She nearly leapt into the ceiling as Ford placed a hand on her shoulder; he was nearly as tall as she was in his sitting position.

"If it looks like's it's gonna explode… throw it into that container there, and I'll flip on the force field.

"Oh." Peridot recognized the device he was referring to. "You mean the cage?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that."

"That's actually a good idea."

Ford didn't reply, and she could feel sweat beading down the side of her face.

"Ok, I'm gonna press it!" She cried, almost melting with anxiety. Ford squeezed her shoulder, and she was surprised to find the gesture reassuring.

"I gonna press it!"

 _Can't back down now._

"I'M GONNA PRESS IT!"

She pressed it.

There was bright flash and a light hum, just like before. But the pulse of energy felt smoother this time.

She opened her eyes, blinking away spotters as she adjusted to the rush of sunlight. The Beach City sun reached into the Gravity Falls basement.

There, sitting at the table in the living room, spoons hovering in the air over bowls of cereal, sat Dipper and Steven.

Peridot wheezed.

"What?" She said, but that was all she could manage.


	11. Chapter 11

"What?"

Dipper dropped his spoon into his cereal with a plop.

Ford and Peridot had appeared in Steven's living room, eyes wide with shock as they huddled close. Peridot dropped the portal remote, almost looking like she was about to faint.

"WHAAAAT?!" Steven howled. He clumsily leapt over the table, rushing the portal.

He smacked into it as if it were sliding glass door, stumbling back and grabbing his nose.

"Steven!" Dipper yelled, joining him in running over to the portal. "A-are you ok?"

Steven nodded tearfully. He carefully placed a hand to the portal, setting his palm along the surface of some invisible force field.

Peridot, mouth still agape, mimicked him. They stood, inches and universe apart.

"Ford." Dipper breathed, a bit afraid to touch the portal. "It's you, right?"

Ford put a hand to his forehead, chest heaving as he took a heavy breath.

"I should be asking YOU that! Dipper! We were worried _sick_! How did THIS happen?!" Ford peered into the Beach House in wonderment, suddenly gasping. He leaned back, poised for action.

"Behind you!"

The two boys spun around. Amethyst as she creeping up on the portal, looking exactly as startled as everyone else did.

"Uhhhh…. Garnet! Pearl! Get in here!" She called.

"Amethyst!" Peridot gasped shrilly, pounding on the field in frustration. "Ford, let me through! Let me through!"

"Those are your companions." He said, studying Pearl and Garnet as they rushed into the room. "Ah, I see, the gems on their bodies! Incredible, they look so different from you!"

Peridot made a kind of growl, reaching for the portal remote.

"How do you…"

Ford reached for the remote, and Peridot let it slide out of her hands into his.

Ford seemed to be composing himself. "Oh, yes. Sorry."

Ford flicked a switch on the controls, and something clicked.

Peridot glanced to Ford, who gave her a tiny nod.

Dipper watched in amazement as Peridot, forcing her eyes shut, leapt through the portal and landed softly on the other side.

Breathing heavily, she opened her eyes. "Ah! Haha! Yes! YES!" She lifted her arms, bouncing like an excited kid.

"Whoooaaaa!" Amethyst howled. "P-dot is BACK! Where have you BEEN, girl?"

"You're not hurt? Where have you BEEN? Please, explain this to us…" Pearl said, her voice wavering a bit.

Peridot gave an honest smile, glancing from Dipper to the gems as Steven hugged her around the shoulders. The crystal gems gathered around, all bursting with questions.

"It's a long story." Dipper said, although that wasn't exactly true. It was... something of a strange story. Everything he thought of fusion, he felt a tad dizzy.

Before he could gather himself, he heard a sequel from the other side of the portal.

"Dipper!"

Ears ringing with surprise, Dipper watched as Stand and Mabel all clustered into the room, stricken with various states of emotional disarray.

"AH!" He finally placed his hands on the portal, feeling a cold energy running through his hands.

"Can I go through?" He looked to Ford for guidance, who nodded.

Dipper tried to slow himself down.

"But what about the portal sickness?"

"That should be solved by this design. It should be safe for you to come through…"

Ford flicked another switch.

"Now!"

Dipper pulled his hand back, but suddenly Mabel reached through the portal and jerked him back into his own universe.

"Hey!" He cried, expecting to feel a sickening jolt of energy smack through his body.

Instead, he felt nothing. It was like crossing through a regular door.

"Oh wow." He breathed, giving Mabel a quick hug. "Limbs allowed in the portal, I guess."

Ford smiled, holding up the remote. "Thanks to help from Peridot, this is probably the most stable portal device ever created."

"Welcome back, kid. Although how the heck did you get over there?!"

Dipper laughed, still not feeling ready to recount his fusion adventure.

"Um... anyway..." He listened to the chatter from the gems on the other side, catching hints of their curiosity. "Can we even go back and fourth?"

"I don't see why not. But Dipper, this isn't a toy." Ford said, frowning.

Dipper nodded, thrilled, and turned back to Steven. "I know but… it IS a miracle worker."

Could it be true? That their worlds had been connected?

Dipper looked around at all of these people who had helped him, given him hope and company and laughter. Their worlds were ALREADY connected.

Peridot was ranting, admiring the portal as she sparked with passion.

"This is rather impressive." She was saying to Ford, face lit by the portals gentle white glow. "Even at this size, the core mechanism still works! And using the magnetron to…"

Ford was glowed right back at her. "This wouldn't have been possible without your intuitive understanding of the quantum mechanisms in the portal arrays, Peridot."

Peridot's face broke into a genuine smile. "And I didn't know humans could be so smart…" She flinched, "…i-if you don't mind me saying that, t-that's not to say other humans AREN'T smart but…"

Ford gave a hearty laugh. "No… I understand."

The group slowly began to gather themselves, studying each other cautiously.

Steven pushed forward, gesturing to Ford.

"Ford, this is the Pines family. Pines Family, this is my family! Amethyst, Garnet, Pearl, and Peridot, you've met her."

"It is a pleasure to meet you all!" Ford boomed.

Steven was delighted. "Hey, you guys should all come over! We can have breakfast together!"

Ford stepped back, hesitating. Dipper could understand why he was worried, but…

"Ford, it's ok." He said. "You need to talk to them about Bill, right? We should work together. You said that, right?"

"Hey."

To Dipper's surprise, it was Peridot who stepped up to the edge of the portal.

"I think it would be beneficial to both worlds if we discussed… recent events. In person."

Murmurs of agreement floated through both worlds.

"Alright." Ford finally said. "Let's work together."

* * *

"Breakfast!"

Steven "ohhed" with delight as Garent placed heaps of pancakes, bacon, and eggs in front of him and friends. He sat with Dipper and Mabel in front of his TV. The screen declared that their game of _Hitting Each Other Bros._ was PAUSED.

"And there's more where that came from!" Stan's voice echoed from down in the kitchen.

"Thank you!" Steven called, grabbing one of everything.

Dipper wasn't sure what was going to happen next. The last 24 hours had been peaceful, and he felt much more relaxed after a good nights sleep. After the awesome experience of fusion, Dipper somehow found it easy to worry less. With both universes connected, even the infinite void seemed like a small and distant threat.

As the group enjoyed the warm food, Dipper heard someone come up the stairs. It was Peridot, sipping a cup of hot coffee with a newspaper in her hands. She was holding the top of it with her fingers, letting it sway in front of her.

 _Weekly Beach City NEWS: Hoax or Sign of the End Times? Local recounts Bizarre Encounter._

Dipper squinted at the questionable headlines. He wondered if the void was making an impact on the town... despite the fact that they hadn't seen hide nor hair of it since the portal had opened.

"What are these… audio visual games you guys are engaging with for so many hours?" Peridot asked suspiciously over her "news."

"You wanna play?" Mabel asked, smiling and offering a controller.

Peridot leaned away. "I don't know… it seems weird to use screens for… games…"

Dipper heard Steven gasp as the doorbell rang. Steven and the twins shared a meaningful glance. Mabel giggled, squirming under Steven's bed. Dipper rushed to hide beneath Steven's stuffed animals as Steven raced down the stairs.

"Peridot, get outta here." Dipper whined, but she was ahead of him, heading down the stairs already. "Also, you don't hold newspaper like that."

"Connie!" Dipper heard Steven's greeting as he opened the door.

Dipper noted with annoyance that Mabel couldn't stop giggling as Steven led Connie up the stairs. She'd give them away!

"Here we go." Steven sounded close to Dipper as he sat down to unpause the game.

"Ummm…" Dipper glimpsed Connie's hand brush her long dark hair away from her face. "Why are there four controllers plugged in?"

Mabel's giggling rose to a fevered pitch. Steven had caught it as well.

"Steven! What is going on!" Connie demanded, just as Dipper and Mable exploded out for there hiding spots.

"Surprise!" Mable cried, tackling Connie with a hug.

Connie's shocked face quickly spread into joy.

"Mabel? Dipper? How?" She stood facing the group, still looking like she was seeing ghosts.

"That is a long story." Dipper groaned.

"Well, I've got time!" Connie said. "I thought you couldn't… Wow!" She blushed. "This is awesome. It's so good to see you again, Dipper! And to see you in PERSON, Mabel! Ohmygosh!"

Dipper noticed with surprise that Steven almost looked ready to cry.

"T-this is… like a dream come true…" He blubbered.

"It IS a dream come true!" Mabel burst.

"I dunno…" Dipper wondered. "Like I said, it's a long story. And complicated. We'll explain it to you." Dipper assured Connie, who was about to protest.

"But first…" He gestured to the game system.

"Shall we?"

* * *

The rosy rays of the setting sun dyed the pages of Ford's journal orange.

He glanced up, noting how beautiful the sunset looked over the ocean. He watched his great niece and nephew dash about on the sand in their bare feet, playing with Steven and his local friend, Connie. He watched she rose up her phone, aiming it at herself as the other kids crouched behind her.

It was almost like they were just neighbors, exhausting themselves with play on a warm summer's day. No one would have known the turmoil that surrounded this particular meeting.

"Almost reminds me of our childhood beach." He sighed, peeking at his twin, who sat next to him on the gem's porch.

Stan made a noncommittal grunt. "Only it's way cleaner."

The biggest gem, Garnet, was sitting solemnly next to them. Amethyst, the little purple gem, was munching chips as she sat on the stairs. Ford heard the clanking of dishes as the slender gem cleaned up the house inside.

Not much different from a "normal" human family.

The door creaked open, and the last gem, Peridot, stepped out.

She held up her wrist and looked at her watch.

"It's 6pm." She announced. "Are you going to leave at your scheduled time or delay?"

Stan dumped his newspaper over his face and ignored her.

Amethyst leaned back, seeming very relaxed. "Pffft, you're hilarious Peridot." She scoffed. "They'll leave when they feel like it."

Ford stood up. "No, we should go check on our own Universe again. It's been too long already."

Garnet called to the kids, her rich voice booming out over the beach. "Kids! Time to head in!"

Ford smiled as he heard protests from the shore. They really where just a bunch of kids.

Pearl was sliding out the door, uniting her apron and approaching Ford. "Are you leaving? I'm excited to see this technology you've invented…"

The house filled with voices as the kids rushed in, giving each other extravagant goodbyes.

"Don't worry, we'll see each other soon!" Dipper was saying. "Tomorrow, even!"

"Hmmm… Steven replied. "Guys!" He gestured to his family, face glowing with an idea. "Can Dipper help us test the drill?!"

Pearl recoiled. "Certainly not!" But she peered at Garnet, who was crossing her arms.

Ford had gathered that Garnet had the most authority here, while Peridot was something of an outsider. The relationships between the gems was clearly more complex than he cared to understand, but knowing which gem was the leader mattered to Ford.

"Dipper can hang out with us at the barn if he wants." Garnet began, and Ford watched hope flicker into the children's eyes. "We can SHOW him the drill."

"Soooo… Dipper can still come over tomorrow?"

Garnet nodded.

Steven and Dipper gave each other a high five.

"Hey now!" Ford growled. "This isn't the same as riding your scooter to a friends house. These portals require strict supervision."

Dipper shuffled his feet. "Ford, I understand that! But you said we could stay connected for now."

"I think they've earned it." Connie answered briskly.

"Please?"

Ford swayed under pressure from his family.

"Fine." He sighed, glancing over to Stan, who shrugged.

 _Naturally._

But he noticed that Dipper was hanging back, glaring at Ford.

He owed the kid some kind of explanation…

"Dipper, I know you're curious about the void." He sighed, feeling his throat clench.

"But we have to wait. We haven't had any signs of the void dragons for over 24 hours. That's a curious change."

Dipper seemed to perk up. "Are you sure? Do you have a way to measure activity directly, Ford? I…"

Ford smiled as Dipper poured out ideas. He was such a smart kid. Tenacious.

"For now, we have chosen to watch and wait. We need time to configure a counterattack. I'm actually surprised the wolf isn't already at our door... shouldn't the void be drawn to us in this universe? The fact that it hasn't shown up might be a good sign."

"Let's talk more about it when we get home, alright?"

"Okay!" Dipper replied, turning back to his friends.

More than anything, Ford just wanted to keep his nephew safe. Whatever it took.

Ford pulled the remote out of his pocket, and placed his journal in its place.

"Stand back, everyone." His voice commanded silence.

He was nervous, despite the portal remote's excellent track record. His mind went over the infinite numbers of factors that might cause the reaction to go bad, and swing too wide…

He clenched his teeth and pushed the button.

There was a collective "oohhhhh" from the gems as the portal opened.

"Amazing…" Pearl was leaning close.

Peridot began to gloat. "Pretty cool, right?"

Stan stepped through the portal first, waving goodbye to Beach City.

"You guys should come visit the famous Mystery Shack sometime!" He grinned. "One-quarter off, family and friends discount…"

Ford waited as the kids headed in, Mabel trust falling into the portal and landing on her back with a thud.

Ford turned back to face the crystal gems.

"Hey." Garnet said. "Thank you for watching over Steven."

Ford felt a rush of giddiness at her praise. He continued to find himself star struck by these marvelous aliens. He wanted to fill pages of his journal with information about them.

 _Hopefully I'll have time for that._

"Look…" He lowered his voice. "If you notice ANYTHING out of the ordinary here… alert me at once. Don't wait."

"You got it, man." Amethyst confirmed. Garnet gave him a thumbs up.

"Don't worry." Pearl said, sighing with worry.

Ford nodded slowly.

"Thank you. I will see you again."

He turned back into his own Universe, hoping beyond all hope that what he said was true.

He didn't know how long they could wait. They might get lucky. And they might not.

As he stepped back into his own universe, he caught a glimpse of Peridot, playing with the dials on his old watch.

How much time did they have left?

He couldn't be sure.


	12. Chapter 12

Dipper tugged his cap, waiting anxiously. He stood with Ford in his lab, a large space in the center marked with a huge X.

"Ready?" Ford asked, holding his portal remote and aiming it at the X.

"It's five o' clock, right? Do it!"

A bright light exploded over the X as Ford pressed the button. The view of the hill with the barn where he and Steven had gone floated into view.

Steven was waving, rushing up to greet him.

"Hey!" Dipper called.

Ford slapped Dipper on the back, urging him towards the portal.

"Remember, be back by 8. And keep an eye out for anything unusual."

"Ford, hey…" Dipper began, wanting to ask him for more information.

"Go on." Ford didn't look him in the eyes. "Just stay safe."

Dipper shook off his worries. "Bye gruncle Ford!"

He strolled through the portal, feeling none of the discomfort he was used to when dealing with when he crossed dimensions. He breathed in the air of Beach City.

Steven greeted him, flitting about with excitement. "You wanna see the drill? Or watch TV upstairs? Connie had to go home… and Garnet's out hunting for void dragons..."

"So this is the famous drill?" Dipper asked, admiring the rather clean machinery. The fantastic equipment gleamed under the sunlight. "You guys BUILT this thing?"

He heard Pearl click her tongue beneath the drill. She leaned out from under it, holding a cloth.

"It sat out here for those few days, and got rained on…"

Dipper stood beneath the drill, running his fingers along the grooves. "What is this FOR, anyway? If you don't mind me asking?"

Steven and Pearl froze, looking awkward. Dipper back-pedaled.

"That's ok! I-f it's gem stuff only, I get it!"

Steven looked guilty. "It's not that, it's just…"

A loud voice interrupted them.

"HEEEY, ho, it's me Dipper Pines! I'm not from around here!"

Dipper gasped, gripped by shock as a purple version of himself meandered from around the side of the drill. The imposter Dipper set its hands on the machine, grinning from a face that wasn't quite right.

"Amethyst! Ugh." Pearl snapped.

"Amethyst!?" Dipper clutched his chest. "T-that is super weird. How do you DO that?" He muttered, leaning closer to this strange copy of himself.

Amethyst's body glowed for a second, and purple Dipper morphed back into regular Amethyst.

"All gems can shapeshift!" She said. "I don't really have you down yet, though. Come back next week!"

Dipper turned to Steven with surprise. "Wow! Is that true, Steven?"

Steven nodded, eyes darting to the ground. "Uh-huh. I'm not very good at it…"

"Still." Dipper stepped away from the drill, getting lost in his imagination. "What CAN'T you gems do?"

Steven blushed. "You said you copied yourself one time! You've done all kinds of CRAZY stuff gems CAN'T do!"

"Ah yes, Tyrone… that seems like a long time ago..." Dipper had mourned his lost clone, but now wasn't the time.

"A-Anyway. I can only do that stuff because of… magic and science, right? It's stuff I found, or learned about from the journals! I don't have any REAL powers. Not like YOU guys!" He found himself breathless, wondering how Steven could ever compare Dipper to people like the crystal gems. Fusion had given him a real sense of what it meant to be something greater than human.

Amethyst tossed in her two cents. "Whatever. Humans get to do all the fun stuff, like eat and sleep."

Dipper snorted. "You can guys can do that TOO, though."

"But why would we WANT to?" A sneer announced the arrival of Peridot, swinging a pencil in her hand.

Amethyst laughed. "Whatever. Look at you, wearing a WATCH!"

Peridot put her hands on her hips. "It's USEFUL to me. Unlike sleeping or eating or… using the bathroom!"

Amethyst chuckled at this; clearly not above finding worth in potty humor.

"Peridot, why aren't you with Ford?" Dipper wondered aloud.

Perdiot looked away. "He wanted to work by himself for a while. Fine with me." Dipper noticed that she held a crumpled piece of paper in her hands.

"What are you working on?" He wondered aloud, stepping closer to Peridot.

She leapt back, quickly pushing the paper behind her back.

"N-nothing that interests you." She growled, and Dipper felt his curiosity burn even hotter.

"Yes it does!" He said, watching as Steven began to slowly sneak around Peridot, reaching for her paper. He winked at Dipper.

"Give it here!" Dipper cried, rushing Peridot to keep her distracted. She yelped, pushing her hand into his face and scrambling away. But Steven was faster, clumsily yanking Peridot's prize away.

"YOU CLODS!" She yelled, dashing for Steven. "Give it BACK!"

Dipper and Steven clustered together, examining what they had retrieved as Peridot tugged at their arms.

It was some kind of diagram, cluttered with complex symbols that matched no language Dipper recognized.

"Huh." Dipper said. "This almost looks like some kind of... alchemy or witchcraft."

With snap, Peridot snatched her paper back from underneath them.

"You wouldn't understand!" She said, skittering away. "..useless... little..."

He glanced to Steven, and the two of them were poised to pester Peridot further when Pearl stepped in front of them.

"Leave Peridot alone." She said, sounding a lot like Dipper's own mother when she caught him doing something naughty.

Dipper back down, suddenly feeling guilty.

"Oh alright. Sorry. She doesn't like me enough already..."

Steven pouted at this. "That's not true! I think she likes all you guys. Especially Ford."

"Really?" Dipper narrowed his eyes, watching Peridot stomp up the stairs into the barn's attic. "Like... really?"

Steven nodded dramatically.

"Really Really!"

* * *

The sun was setting over the hill on Beach City.

Dipper sat with Steven, watching the sun set. It was almost time to go home already. They didn't make conversation, and simply enjoyed each other's company.

Behind him, he could hear the mummer of Pearl, Peridot, and Amethyst.

"Remember when we jumped here as fusion?!" Steven gushed. "That was crazy…"

Dipper agreed. "It sure was. This place seemed… a lot smaller somehow."

"Hmmm…" Steven mused. "We were bigger?"

Dipper crossed his arms. "True, but it's a lot more than that."

"Hey…" Steven said. "Stay here."

Confused, Dipper watched as Steven got up and headed into the barn. He returned holding a small instrument.

"You play music?!" Dipper said, surprised. "What… what is that, I'm not sure what that is." He stammered, feeling embarrassed.

Steven laughed. "This…"

He plopped down, holding the instrument in his lab. "Is a ukulele." He closed his eyes and ran his fingers down the strings, creating a lovely vibrating tone.

"Wow." Dipper said, finding himself enjoying the simple sounds. "That's really cool, I can't play anything."

Steven opened up one eye and smiled at him. "I could teach you!"

Dipper leaned back into the grass.

"Maybe later. I'd rather listen for now."

As Steven continued to strum, he heard stomping as Amethyst bounded down the hill to join them. Much softer footsteps heralded the arrival of Pearl. Eventually, a hasty rhythm brought Peridot down to join them.

Dipper was enveloped by a sense of peace.

Causal conversation floated behind the ukulele's gently song, matching the beat of the clouds against a pristinely pink sky, tiny stars just beginning to wake up as night replaced day. Here, surrounded by friends, Dipper almost forgot to worry. He closed his eyes, feeling a bit sleepy.

But some kind of sound kept him from a nap.

It hummed along behind the peaceful aura of his current world, like the buzz of computer motors in an otherwise quite room.

It seemed to be getting louder too. Dipper suddenly noticed that Steven had stopped playing, nothing but an ominous wind ruffling through the air.

Dipper sat up, looking to Steven. The two boys shared a nervous glance. The hair on Dipper's neck was creeping up.

What was making him so nervous?!

"Do you guys HEAR that?" Peridot's asked loudly.

He heard it. It was a high-pitched hissing. Like the scream of static from a busted television. It was white noise. Distant but very real.

Something was wrong with the sky.

"Oh no no no no…" Peridot was muttering.

It was in the air, like tiny slivers of dust. They were almost the floaters you got in your eyes, but physical. They danced in the air around Dipper, Steven, Amethyst, Pearl and Peridot, utterly memorizing. Steven reached out for one, eyes glowing with curiosity.

The static hissing was rising into a roar.

Without a sound, something snaked around Dipper's ankle.

He gave a yell as he was smacked unto his back and drug into the open. Real spotters floated in his eyes, and he looked up at the stars once again. Distantly, he heard the gems give a cries of horror.

Something massive swayed into view. It wasn't formless, but its body was almost made of static, that persistent hissing seeming to emanate from a collective form. Its silhouette was almost like that of a bird or a dragon, but no counters existed to expose its true form.

It leaned closer to Dipper, the hissing growing louder.

A single, massive eye filled Dipper's vision. He lost himself in it, so shocked his mind had moved past fear.

The amalgamation opened a great maw, revealing nothing but darkness.

It was going to consume him.

A whistle sounded through the air. A spear struck the beast in the face, shattering one side of it's jaw. Dipper felt the grip on his ankle loosen, the beast pulling away as it trashed its head in pain.

A hand closed around his wrist, dragging him away through the grass. Dipper snapped back to reality, hearing the bizarre monster give a piercing roar.

"Get over here!" He heard Pearl's distressed voice call from somewhere. She seemed too far away. Dipper's vision was clouded with static dust.

"GET UP, YOU CLOD! RUN!"

Peridot was grasping unto his wrist, eyes huge as she tried to drag him out of the monster's path. He picked up his own feet, racing instinctively for shelter of the barn. He'd have to thank the gems later for the rescue.

The barn seemed miles away. He waited for another tentacle to snatch at his foot.

Then they where inside.

Together, the group pushed the barn door shut as fast as they could.

 _"Screeeeech!"_

The door shuddered as the monster shoved its maw into the barn, snapping and twisting. Dipper's muscles faltered as he fought to keep the door closed, and he could feel Steven pressing against his shoulders.

Through a gap in the monsters jaws, he glimpsed Peridot's hopeless expression as she slid backwards. Even Pearl and Amethyst were faltering. Tiny bits of static flitted in through the door, sparking like cinders as they hit the floor.

 _At least it can't just faze through the wall._

"rrrrrAAAGGGGHHH!" Dipper watched as Amethysts body rippled into some kind of muscled beast. With a single shove, she forced the door closed.

The group backed up, panting.

"You three." Pearl pointed at Dipper, Steven, and Peridot. "Stay here!"

Steven opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by a crashing as the monster sent splinters scattering into the air. The barn shook as if caught in an earthquake.

Pearl and whatever Amethyst had turned into rushed out the back of the barn, giving war cries as they faced the beast.

And suddenly there was a third door in the barn. Dipper, Steven, and Peridot clung to one another in wordless terror, splinters exploding into the air as a chunk of the wall was knocked out.

The beasts claws filled this new doorway, lashing about like tentacles. It almost seemed to be bringing itself closer together, shadows outlining huge scaly claws.

"No way!" Peridot cried hoarsely. "I'm not dying here!"

Peridot was climbing over a junk pile. She scrambled over tires and metal with a green sheen.

"WHAT? What're you doing? What is THIS?" Dipper howled over the sound of the monster scraping huge chunks out of the barn.

"I-it's my ultimate vision of power…" Peridot muttered, placing a foot into a deep indent in a kind of metal body. There was a seat inside.

"…and our only hope for survival!" Peridot leapt into the seat, reaching for control sticks.

"Is this…" Dipper's mind was hard at work sorting out all the visual details. "Some kind of ROBOT?!" Peridot was sitting in a mech cockpit!

"That's brilliant!" Steven gushed. "Now you can fight too!"

"Yes. Now, get out of my… HEY!" Peridot yelled as Dipper scrambled into the cramped space, spreading his limbs all over Peridot.

"We can't both pilot!" Peridot forced Dipper's arms into his face. "Get ouffa me!"

Steven gasped. "Good idea!" He piled in, and the cockpit was officially cramped. Steven slid behind Dipper and Peridot, crunching up his knees so he could fit.

"AUGH! NO! This is MY giant fighting robot!" Peridot screamed.

"This is way safer than out there! I'm staying!" Dipper insisted, just as the creature forced its entire head into the barn, searching for prey.

They gasped in unison as the monster tugged at the robot's limbs. A monstrous scraping noise filled Dipper's ears as the monster drug them out into the open.

SLAM. SLAM. SLAM!

All three pilots instinctively raised their arms to defend their bodies as the beast snapped its beak around the cockpit repeatedly, giving them a lovely view of its gullet each time. The robot's right arm suddenly jerked upward, a claw-like hand swatting at their attacker. The monster trashed against it, scattering bits of itself into the air.

Dipper turned his attention to his immediate surroundings. Peridot had the right control stick gripped in her fingers, but she was reaching over him for the left one. Her fingers grasped for it, but her short arms couldn't reach over Dipper's body, which was smashed against Stevens. Peridot pressed her head against Dippers as she strained to get control.

"Get… out… MOVE….!" Peridot ordered.

The left control stick was right next to Dipper's left hand.

"Let me!" Dipper shouted. They could pilot together! He closed his fingers around the controls.

He gave the stick a yank, plunging the robots right hand into the monster's head. It shrieked, recoiling.

Peridot pushed Dipper's legs into a corner, using pedals to control the robot's legs. Dipper gasped as they stood up drunkenly, accidentally swinging the left arm backwards so violently that it smacked the back of the chassis.

"Sorry!" Dipper stammered, but before he could finish Peridot lurched the robot forward, nearly falling over.

"Catch it! Catch the fall!" She squeaked. Steven was howling.

Dipper swung the arm out to stop a fall, but they didn't manage to complete their descent. Instead, they stumbled all over the hill looking like a robotic fool.

A shadow engulfed them, rapidly growing larger. The monster's angry scream echoed metallically into the cockpit. Dipper heard Pearl's enraged shout.

"Pu-push that button! PUSH IT!" Peridot screamed, pointing to a conspicuously large button in the middle of the control panel.

Steven slammed his fist on the button.

"Hold on!" Peridot groped with her free hand, finding both Steven and Dipper's hands as she braced her body for impact. Dipper heard some kind of mechanism unlock in the mech's feet.

The three of them slammed upward as the robot sprang into the air like a rocket. It was like being in a runaway elevator… that was going UP.

Another crash shuddered through the metal body of the robot and into its pilots. An echoing scream deafened Dipper and the air exploded with chunks of static.

For an exhilarating moment, the three of them floated in the air, encircled by the horizon. Dipper could see the lights of a city in the hazy distance, bleeding into the sparkling ocean.

He heard Peridot and Steven give slow gasps of awe. His chest felt light, weightless.

Then they came back down to earth. It hurt. A lot.

They all clung to each other like their lives depended on it. Shaken, Dipper peeked open an eye and scanned the sky above him. Poofy green hair blocked his view.

"D-di we win?" Dipper whispered, adrenaline still pulsing through him.

They slowly separated, scanning the outside world carefully. The air was glittering, as if the stars where falling out of the sky and raining on the earth.

"W-we did it! Hehe!" Peridot stood up, throwing up her arms with her fingers clenched around her necklace. "WE ARE THE SUPERIOR LIFE FORM!"

Dipper laughed, glad to be alive. He looked to Steven, face breaking into a smile.

"Alright. We won. WE WON!" They cheered together.

"Where are Pearl and Amethyst?" Steven wondered. "Are they…"

The group gasped and the right arm of the robot swung into the air.

Amethyst emerged from beneath it, coughing. "Ugh. That was pretty cool, guys."

"I'm ok too!" Dipper started as he saw Pearl calling from a nearby tree. "Just gotta get… down…"

"That was crazy!" Dipper said, scrambling out of the cockpit alongside Steven. "Where did this thing COME from?"

"I- I have some ideas, actually." Peridot began.

Dipper cut her off, gesturing to the green robot. "No, THAT."

"Oh. I built it." Peridot grinned. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Dipper looked from the green, angular gem to the green, angular robot. "You BUILT that? Seriously? With who?"

"Nope." Peridot replied, "Built the whole thing by myself."

Steven gave a proud nod.

Dipper finally had true respect for Peridot's engineering abilities.

"That is some MAD skill!" Dipper gushed.

Peridot continued to smile. "That's not a bad way of putting it."

Dipper slowly sat down. "I am in so much pain right now." He panted. "Next time, install seat belts."

"He's right… it's not street safe..." Steven muttered.

Pearl was finally heading over, looking roughed up, but far from defeated.

"Did it… die?" She said nervously. "It burst into pieces when you hit it… but they kind of floated away TOGETHER…"

"It's a void dragon." Dipper said, his voice raw. "I guess that's what Ford was waiting for?"

Peridot tensed up. "Wow. Look at _that._ "

She was looking to the sky.

It was as if the stars has multiplied, tearing across the sky and dancing like rain through the darkness.

Dipper took in a breath, but forgot to let it out. He recognized those shifting patterns of light and darkness. He recognized the sublime horror of solid reality being broken into shadow. He recognized the gentle pull of the static sea.

A sudden ringing made him jump.

"Hello?" Steven picked up his cell phone, silencing it's ring. "Yeah, uh, I see it, It's... ok, Connie, I... I'm getting another call... Mayor Dewy?!"

He looked to Dipper, grimacing with worry.

A bright light illuminated the hill. They all leapt into defensive positions, expecting another attack.

But instead, Ford's face appeared in mid air.

"Dipper! Crystal Gems!"

"Something terrible is..." He gasped in horror, eyes widening as he took in the destruction all around them. "It's here too!?"

Peridot stepped forward.

"It looks like this is it."


	13. Chapter 13

Dipper and Mabel raced each other to the front door from the basement.

They wanted to see it.

 _"… frankly, I don't know WHAT is going on right now. Back to you, Shandara."_

 _"Thanks. I'm on the scene now, where this brave man is going to try and touch the menacing, fathomless force that currently appears to be destroying the town…"_

The sound of the TV followed them as they shot through the living room.

 _"OHhhh! That was a bad idea…"_

Uneven light from outside snaked into the house from the cracks in the door. It smelled like a thunderstorm was on the horizon, and a low roaring shook the doorframe, making Dipper hesitate before it.

Mabel pushed past him, grabbing the doorknob and yanking it open.

The twins stood awestruck, a sharp wind tearing at Dipper's skin. Vast curls of the void, almost like smoke, weaved in and out of the horizon. The trails thrashed against the trees, as if straining to come into being.

Dipper gasped as Mabel pulled him back.

"Wha…"

A tendril of void hissed past right where he has been standing. It cut through the porch like a knife through butter, leaving behind flickering traces.

"It's kind of like fire…." Mabel breathed. "Pretty."

"This is soooo bad." Dipper wheezed, watching the void dance gleefully on the horizon. "This is like…"

He sputtered as something struck him in the face. He pulled a chunk of newsprint off his face, opening his eyes to the headline:

 **THE END THE WORLD!**

His knees felt weak, and he sank down.

"What do we do?" He muttered, hopelessness charging over him just as the void surged over the rest of the forest. Was this all because they hadn't closed the gap between the universes? Was this all Bill Ciphers fault, or...

Dipper felt Mabel tugging at him.

"C'mon!" She cried. "What's wrong with you?!"

"It's my fault." He whispered. "This is all my fault."

"Stop it!" Mabel screamed over the hiss of distant static, grabbing him by his shirt and hauling him up. "Snap out of it! There isn't time for crap like that!"

"DIPPER!"

Both twins gasped as an unexpected voice echoed from down below.

"Steven?" Dipper called.

The Beach City native was standing in the doorway, huffing and puffing.

His eyes swelled like tide pools as he took in the impressively terrifying view in the doorway.

"Wow." He panted. "I think it's actually worse over here."

"I KNOW!" Dipper howled, covering his eyes. "It's terrible!"

Steven set a hand on his shoulder, pulling him into the shelter of the house.

"It's ok! Ford and Peridot had a plan all along! It's ok, Dipper! It's ok!"

Dipper gasped painfully, chest searing with hope.

"S-seriosuly?!"

Steven nodded furiously. "Yes! They were just explaining it to the gems! But we have to go NOW! You have to help your own universe!"

"Are you coming with us, Steven?!" Mabel asked, hair lashing in the wind.

Steven shook his head. "I have… I have to fight for my own universe."

Dipper stood up, fighting the shaking in his knees.

"I-it's ok. That's how it should be."

"Thanks, Steven." He said. "I hope we get through this."

All three of them faced the howling void.

Finally, Steven turned away, heading back towards the basement.

"I have to go! But I'll be fighting with you in spirit!"

Dipper's throat clenched as he watched his friend go.

"YO!"

A grinning purple gem rounded the corner and took Steven's place.

"I'm gonna help you guys! You need more muscle over here!" She flexed her arms, grinning.

Stan walked up next to her, holding a huge can of something marked FLAMMABLE.

"That's our… backup, I guess." Stan shrugged, thumbing towards Amethyst.

"What about Ford?" Dipper glanced to where Steven had vanished.

The two humans and one gem were already heading outside.

"He's got his own thing he has to do! Him and that goofy green alien have to stay here!" Stan bellowed over the void. "C'mon, Dipper! Don't worry about him! Come here, translate those geek's instructions for me!"

Dipper perked up, now drawn to Stan's challenge. He grabbed a hunk of paper from his grunckle, hungrily reading over the instructions Ford and Peridot had left them.

"Whoa."

Eyes still glued to Ford's written words, he gathered with the rest of his team as they piled into the mystery cart. He stepped carefully over some void embers as he leapt inside next to Mabel.

"Here goes nothing." Stan growled.

The wind lashed at Dipper's eyes as the Mystery Kart squeaked to life beneath him.

He focused on reading as they drove away from the shack, trying to make sense of what his grunckle and the alien had come up with.

"This is... oh, wow..." He studied a diamond-shaped diagram that accompanied the text. It was a sigil of some kind. "I think he borrowed from our primitive dust portals to come up with this, Mabel!"

He looked up to talk to his sister, gaze captured by the rapidly shifting landscape around him. The sky was gray, seeming to strain against the void as tiny raindrops started to sprinkle down.

He glanced down as Mabel pulled out a GPS, watching the dot crawl across the screen.

"It says we gotta go here! Turn that way, Stan!"

"Woooo! This is fun!" Amethyst was bouncing widely as the kart hit a bump on the muddy ground. They were careening through the forest together.

"And it's about to get FASTER!" Stan leaned forward as he slammed on the pedal. An arc of void snaked over them, sliding through the earth.

Mabel gave a hurk. "Too fast. TOO FAST!"

Dipper quickly looked away from the GPS screen, feeling a bit ill himself.

"Whoa!" He gasped as the stark outline of a mansion swayed into view. "Why are we going close to THAT place?"

"Gross." Stan said, glaring at the Northwest Mansion in disgust. "How much farther?"

"Almost there… ugh, slow down!" Dipper could barely read Mabel's screen as he lurched up and down.

The rain was picking up. Stan brought the kart to a halt as they approached a wide clearing. Many trees had been felled here, telltale stumps scattered about the gray grass. The mansion loomed in the distance.

"Oh, no way…" Dipper muttered. "Creepy…" The dot had aligned with the coordinates Ford had given them. This was the place, however creepy it was.

"Maaaan, how we gonna draw anything in this rain?" Amethyst whined as she stepped out unto the clearing.

"Because we're drawing it with gasoline." Dipper answered, getting out to help Stan and Mabel with their supplies.

"Wassat gonna do?" Amethyst asked.

"We're gonna light it on fire." Dipper replied, the idea filling him with excitement.

"Haha wow!" Amethyst enthused. "Those two really have some killer ideas."

Dipper didn't time for her joking tone. He kind of wished Pearl or Garnet had come along as their gem escort instead.

He studied the sigil design again, shielding the yellowed paper from the drizzle. He found a stick on the ground, and began tracing out a wide circle in the wet ground.

He wondered what the alchemical symbols written on the edge of the circle meant… he almost recognized some of them, one of them looked it might have meant "death" or maybe "nothing," something about "sacrifice" and "blood…"

"What exactly is this?" Dipper grumbled to himself. "You two better explain this to me when this is over..."

He jolted as Mabel grabbed his shoulders. "W-what?"

Her eyes where round with fear. "Do you hear that?"

Dipper listened.

There was high-pitched hissing filling the air. Louder than before. Distantly, he thought he could hear screams of terror.

"It's coming from the mansion!" Stan cried, and Dipper watched as a gray form surged down the hill. It had bony growths protruding from its back, face, tail; sharp against the sky even as its form flickered.

This one was definitely a dragon. And it was heading straight for them.

"That's my cue!" Amethyst snapped a thorny whip from her gem. "Keep doin' what yer doin!" She raced forward.

Dipper's arm shook. "Mabel, help me get that one symbol over there… thanks…"

His body was damp from sweat and the rain. He couldn't stop thinking about the screams.

"No you DON'T!"

Distracted, Dipper watched Amethyst lash the monsters mouth shut, slamming its face into the dirt. But the beast slid out of the whips grip, twisting its head and lunging for Amethyst.

She was trapped between upper and lower jaws, holding the monster's mouth open. Emptiness yawned before her. She glanced back to Dipper and Mabel as she was forced deeper into the mud.

"Just… ah… don't stop!"

Dipper tried to focus. He was almost done…

"Amethyst!" Mabel cried out as the monster lashed its head, still holding the purple gems in it's jaws.

There was nothing they could do but watch.

He heard an angry sequel of a vehicle, and they watched as Stan crashed the mystery kart headlong into the monsters side. It swung Amethyst into the ground, snarling as it fell unto its side.

"The gasoline!" Dipper cried, frantically searching for the tank of liquid. "We're almost there!"

It seemed miles away, sitting where Stan had been carrying it.

"I got it!" Amethyst glowed brightly, shifting her form. A purple owl wooshed low across the earth, snatching the tank, expertly undoing the cap with its claws, and splashing smelly gasoline all over their crude sigil.

The void dragon howled, its presence filling the air.

Dipper fumbled with the lighter.

"Stupid… safety… Ahh!"

For a moment, he and Mabel admired the flame.

Then they leapt back, and Dipper tossed the entire lighter into the circle. The twins huddled close against the searing heat.

Dipper could hear the dragon roaring as the sigil burst into blame, flashing yellow, orange, and finally, a blinding green.

They watched as two bright green lines arched out of the flames in two diagonal directions.

The void dragon died as the light reached a fever pitch. It shoot into the air like a firework, becoming dust that raced across the earth.

"Ford and Peridot's diamond seal…" Dipper breathed. "It's connecting!"

* * *

Steven's eyes adjusted as the white light from the warp pad faded.

"Ohhhh man…" He muttered. "Why'd it have to be HERE?"

The Kindergarten spread out before Steven, Pearl, and Connie. Mist floated through the vast canyon, where the deactivated injectors casts sharp shadows across the purplish landscape.

Farther beyond that, he could still see the void pulsing in the sky. It had been a lot scarier in Gravity Falls, but it was bad enough like this.

Connie stepped forward, flexing her fingers around the hilt of her sword.

"Wow." She breathed. "This place is REALLY creepy. What ARE those?" She pointed to the injectors.

Pearl quickly cut her off. "That's not why we're here. Lets find the site specified. Steven, you have all the supplies?"

Steven nodded, patting the bottom of his cheeseburger backpack.

Their small group trudged through the Kindergarten, following the guidance of the GPS.

The crack of something hitting the dusty floor made Steven jump.

"S-sorry." He muttered, reaching for a dropped can of spray paint as it rolled away from him. "I've never gotten used to this place."

"I can see why." Connie glanced around nervously as she placed a shoe on the runaway can.

Pearl finally halted. "This is the place.

Steven's stomach churned. "But…"

A tilted injector stood right where Pearl was pointing.

Connie huffed. "Then we just have to move it."

"Ugh." Pearl wrung her hands. "I wish Garnet was with us…"

Steven know what she meant. With another gem, they could fuse into a much larger form. Getting rid of the injector would be easy then… But they had split their forces.

Steven approached the alien machine carefully. He squeezed underneath it, a shadow enveloping his body.

"Steven!" Connie's voice made him leap up, and he nearly smacked his head on the top of the injector.

"That's a great idea! We can just draw the sigil underneath it!"

"Will that still work?" Pearl's voice echoed into the darkness, followed by her face as she leaned down to look at him. "Steven, do you think you can do this?"

He steeled himself, and gave a serious nod. He hadn't actually though of it, but…

Pearl vanished, and he could see her shoes as she paced in front of the injector. "Connie, I want you to stay close to Steven. Let me focus fighting, if it comes to that. Don't get involved unless-"

"I understand." Connie sounded confident, as always. Steven felt lucky to have someone like her on his side.

Steven took out the spray can; shaking it as he studied the drawing Ford had given him. It was totally confusing… suddenly he wished Pearl were drawing it instead. What if he messed up?

He stuck out his tongue. He could make this work. If he had to ask for help…

Wind hissed around the injector. He felt it loom over him, as if was about to lean forward and crush him.

"Steven? How's it going?"

He snapped out of his trance at the sound of Connie's voice. He began to trace a big circle with his spray can. It had a few wiggles in it, but it seemed like it would work.

"Brace yourself." He heard Pearl whisper as the air began to hum. Something was coming!

 _The Void Dragon._

At least Ford had given the monsters a really awesome name.

The hissing rose, and a forceful wail shuddered across the land.

A name just as terrifying as it was awesome, really.

He heard Connie gasp as something tore into the earth, nearly landing Steven on his butt. He struggled to his feet, heart pounding. How could he do this?! He couldn't SEE his friends!

He could only hear them, Pearl's battle cry muffled by the claustrophobic space.

"Steven!" His heart clenched as Connie called his name. "Keep it up!"

"OKAY!" He yelled back, trying to focus on etching out the weird symbols. He couldn't tell if was his own hands shaking, or if his body was just being jostled by the roar of the Dragon…

"AHHHH!" He screamed, painting the last symbol. "FINISHED!"

The injector creaked overhead. Something had crashed into it!

He could feel the legs of the machine shift in the dirt, the base growing larger above his head…

"STEVEN!"

He knew what to do.

He felt his gem glow warmly as he conjured up his bubble. A protective shield encased him, but the sound of the injector crashing into it was still horrifying. He was being buried alive in the dirt, tension between his bubble and the injector rising.

"HIYAH!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Connie leap into the air, striking the side of the injector with a massive kick. Steven could hear Pearl and the Dragon drawing closer. It was almost on top of them!

With a crash, the machine thudded into the void dragon's body as Pearl forced it back. A shriek spilt the air, the monster lashing against the weight of the ancient gem machine.

Steven let his bubble pop, sliding to his knees and scooting away.

"Whew." He croaked.

"Steven!"

Connie rushed to his side, embracing him. "Are you ok?!"

"I'm ok…" He grabbed Connie's arm for reassurance. He searched through the dust clouds to see what remained of his hard work...

"The drawing's still there!" Steven gasped.

Pearl nearly stepped on his work as she leapt around the dragon, slicing it with her spear. It wouldn't be there for long.

"We gotta finish it!"

Connie had composed herself already. The tow of them fished around the rubble, finding the can of gasoline unharmed.

A long tail swiped over their heads as they clumsily splashed the liquid on the sigil.

Steven followed its arch, transfixed by the sight of Pearl trying to keep the beast pinned down.

"Let's light it!" Connie yelled. Steven watched as she struck a match, and wasted no time tossing it over the sigil.

They leapt back as heat boiled over them.

The flame was yellow, orange, and finally, green.

Lines soared out of the flames, streaking in opposite directions. The color seemed to fill the sky.

The dragon's final roar was furious, tearing through the shivering air. He and Connie stood close, watching as it burst into countless stars. The sparks swirled about Pearl, holding a regal silhouette with her spear planted in the ground.

He looked past the injectors into the sky, searching for the void.

But it seemed to be fading, silenced by the mighty green light.

"We did it." Connie said, eyes ablaze as she indulged in the scene before them. "Haha, Steven, we did it!"


	14. Chapter 14

They _had_ done it!

Stan screeched the kart to a halt as they rode up to the Shack. Sunlight was streaming through the storm clouds, warmth returning to the forest. Dipper swore he could even hear birdsong in the trees.

"Where's Garnet?" Amethyst wondered.

WHUMP.

The red gem crashed in front of them, leaping off the roof.

Garnet brushed some rubble off her shoulders. "That dragon was no problem for me. I saw the lights. I assume this is finished."

"It looks like it was a problem for the Shack! Look at the sign!" Stan howled.

Dipper looked up to see that the unlucky "Mystery Shack" sign had been reduced to nothing more than a lonely "K," dangling off what remained of the sign's base.

Dipper laughed. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Garnet shrugged.

Dipper almost felt giddy. The whole thing had gone off without a hitch! Steven, Pearl, and Connie must have held up their end of the operation too.

He stepped out of the kart, crushing a chunk of magazine that was carrying on about the end of the world.

Mabel raced past him. "Let's see how Ford and Peridot did!"

He followed her, excited to hear the full explanation of the diamond seal from Ford. What had he been doing while they fought to save the world?! Not hiding, surely.

Panting, he rushed into the hallway, turning into the lab behind his sister.

"Ford? Peridot? Hey!" Mabel frowned. "Where are they?"

Dipper glanced around, searching the shadows of the basement. A portal hovered in the center of the room.

"Did they go back into Steven worlds…. S-Steven!" He gasped as his friend's face appeared on the other side of the portal. His face was streaked with dirt, but he was smiling. Connie was not far behind.

"Dipper! We did it!" Steven cried.

"I know!" Dipper gave him a high five as the half-gem stumbled through the portal, into Gravity Falls.

"Are Ford and Peridot on your side?" Mabel asked.

Steven shook his head, looking confused. "Nope. They're… here, right?"

A sense of foreboding crept over Dipper. He was becoming aware of how the space around them had been cleared… it seemed obvious, they'd done that for the portals, right?

Dipper stepped back, scrambling unto a chair to get a better view of the floor. His heart was pounding.

"Dipper…?" Steven and Mabel stood in the center of the room, bewildered. Dipper swallowed.

There, on either side of the big X in the rooms center, were deep scars etched by fire. They sat perfectly parallel, circular shapes edged with symbols.

"T-they had to light their own sigils, or something?" Dipper repeated his thoughts aloud. He pulled the crumpled notes of his pocket, but couldn't find anything about two MORE portals being a part of the seal's equation.

"So?" Mabel said. "Were ARE they?"

Dipper suddenly noticed Stan had entered the room, along with Connie. Garnet and Amethyst where using the portal to get back home, speaking in hushed tones to Pearl.

"Hey…" Steven lifted something off the table, voice sounding strained. "Isn't this…"

He held out a floppy disk, a handsome watch dangling over his fingers next to it.

Dipper leapt off the chair.

"I gave that… to Peridot…" Stan growled, snatching up the watch and examining it.

"This… haha, only Ford would use THIS." Dipper gently took the ancient technology from Steven's hands. "I can get this to work."

Aware of all the people that were watching him, Dipper walked over to the main computer and inserted the disk as he flipped on the biggest screen.

He navigated to the floppy icon, and clicked on it.

"It's a video?" Steven said, suddenly turning to the gems as they peered from beyond the portal. "Do you guys know whats going on?"

Expressions grim, the gems stepped out of Beach City into Gravity Falls. Pearl was wringing her hands, and Amethyst seemed a little too concerned with the floor.

"I think that's for you guys." Pearl said softly.

Dipper could feel the vice grip of fear close around his heart.

Slowly the group congregated around Dipper. His stomach flipped over as he double clicked the video file, the glow of the screen magnetic.

A window opened, revealing a grainy, highly compressed video feed. There was some scraping and shuffling, like someone adjusting a camera.

"Hello? Hello… Ah, I got it working!" Ford's face hovered, huge and blurry, in the foreground.

"About time." Peridot's high pitched voice echoed off-screen.

He backed up, folding his arms and sighing.

"Listen. Dipper, Mabel, Steven… Stan. There's something we didn't tell you."

Dipper's head was pounding.

The audio gave a gentle pop as Ford continued.

"By now, I hope you have successfully used the sigil to stop the void. What you may not realize is that in the process, you have sealed Bill Cipher within the void." Ford took a deep breath. "This is the very best outcome we could hope for. But..."

"For the sigil to work… to seal Bill and save our universes from the Void Dragon… the ritual requires sacrifices. Specifically, one sentient, willing sacrifice from each universe being targeted."

"No…" Dipper stammered. "No, they wouldn't…"

Ford stepped forward, grabbing the camera and shifting it. Now Peridot sat in the frame, sitting in her workbench with her back to the camera.

Ford sat next to her and spoke.

"We waited as long as we could. We tried desperately to come up with another solution. But time caught up with us. We didn't have any alternatives."

"That's why we kept this a secret from you. You'd try to stop us."

Stan burst into an angry shout. "You're darn right!"

Back on the screen, Ford sighed.

"It's a miracle I'm even in this universe at all. But I take full responsibility for letting Bill into our lives. This is all because of me. If anybody is to be sacrificed to the void to stop Bill… it's me."

"No!" Stan roared, leaning away from the screen. "You didn't even ASK me! You idiot..."

Ford shook his head. "I- I know this isn't an easy decision. And I'm sorry. But we have too much to gain!" He slammed his fist on the table, jolting Peridot as she hunched beside him.

"This way, you can know that this was our choice… and everything will be fine."

Ford closed his eyes, and through the grain dipper couldn't tell if he was crying or not. He stood up, and a hand reached out for the camera.

There was nothing but static for a moment. The screen went black, but another video swam into view after a long couple of seconds.

The screen was filled with green. Peridot faced the camera.

"Listen. Steven. A-nd everybody."

Her eyes shifted.

"Y-you think I wanna be sacrificed? Absolutely not. I'd do ANYTHING to make sure it wasn't ME opening this portal!"

She closed her eyes, backing up.

"Look. Homeworld's not happy with me. There is a good chance they'll come to Earth, looking for me."

She stared into the camera, eyes filled with determination.

"I know you guys would try to stop them. Y-you'd get hurt over my mistakes. I can't allow that."

She glared to the side, rubbing her eyes.

"Also, Ford wouldn't let me find some other random lifeform to sacrifice. S-so thats that."

She scrambled closer, wrapping her hands around the camera.

"So you understand… who BETTER to be sacrificed? Haha-hahahaha!" She laughed bitterly.

"Oh… oh." Her eyes swirled in the camera's lens. "But… This really IS the most rational choice. I- I can be useful to you. Steven, I…"

Tears swam in her eyes, and still she struggled against them.

"…I can pay y-you back…" She glared fiercely. "S-save the earth… d-don't let yellow d-diamond do anything stupid…"

"D-don't forget me, you clods!"

"Peridot, what're you doing?" Ford's voice interrupted the gem.

She gasped, and the camera clattered to the floor. Fords shoe hung in the frame, but everything swayed as he leaned down and picked up the camera.

"Oh. Haha, you DID want to record something…" He smiled. Peridot's sniffing sounded over the static.

"I love you guys." Ford said.

There was hum, and then the video file closed to black.

Water streaked down Dipper's face, contrasting sharply with his disbelief. He blinked, the video burning like an afterimage in his eyes.

He felt Steven and Mabel hug him, and they cried together.

* * *

Steven absentmindedly tapped the plastic on the big watch. Peridot hadn't worn it for long, but she'd left behind. So he could have it.

He felt water swell into his eyes again. It seemed impossible that she wasn't here. It seemed impossible that she was…

He gazed up, the light of the stars blurring the sky into a painful glare of white. He squeezed Connie's hand, desperate for reassurance.

 _Gone._

He sat with Dipper, Mabel, and Connie on the roof of the Mystery Shack. Somehow, the open sky, free of the menacing void, made them all feel a tiny bit better.

He glanced over at Dipper. His hat shadowed his eyes as he sat hunched up next to Steven and Mabel.

"It's not fair." Mabel's voice rang out, strangely bitter. "It's not FAIR!" She suddenly slammed a fist into the roof and stood up, facing the others.

"Mabel…" Dipper implored, reaching out a hand as if to calm his sister, but faltering.

"I-I know!" Dipper clenched his teeth, the same fire lighting up his eyes. "It's NOT fair! After everything they went through, after how hard they worked, THIS is what they get?!"

Mabel frowned fiercely, tears in her eyes. Steven detested watching her cry.

Dipper shook his head, getting to his feet. "We…" He paced, like he always did when he was hatching a plot. "We have to find a way to bring them back!"

Steven felt hope flutter in his exhausted heart.

"Do you know a way?! Is there a way to bring them back!?" He asked breathlessly.

Dipper nodded feverishly. "They didn't DIE, right? "Sacrificed to the void," Ford said. The void isn't the afterlife. Ford's never vague about this kind of stuff. He meant that he and Peridot were _transported_ into the void."

"I understand what you're saying…" Connie spoke. "But…"

Steven rushed into right into Dipper's ideas. "Me and Dipper got stuck in the void! But we ESCAPED! Maybe they can too!"

He watched in disappointment as Connie shook her head. "I know that. But we used the sigil to SEAL the void. Is it even possible to get back with your method now?"

Mabel sniffed. "Y-you follow this stuff, Connie?"

Connie stood up, a gentle wind rustling her hair. "If we even tried to rescue them… if it's even possible… we would have to break the seal. The seal keeping that yellow demon guy from hurting anybody. The seal that they sacrificed themselves for."

Steven's heart twisted. Was Connie right? He didn't care. Even if it meant breaking the seal, he was willing to try ANYTHING to see Peridot again. And to let Ford live with his family again, to see Stan, Dipper and Mabel happy. He knew it was wrong... but he couldn't feeling that without Ford and Peridot, saving the worlds had been a complete waste.

Mabel stomped her foot. "We can find them! Of course! There has to be a way!"

Steven got up.

"If there's even a small chance… we have to try!" He cried. "We-We have to! Dipper and Connie… and even Pearl… we have losta smart people on our team who can help! Right, Connie?" He looked to her for more reassurance.

Connie was looking at the roof, conflicted.

"It was their choice, and we should respect it. But… maybe I don't understand." She shrunk away, her usual candor flickering against the force of a desperate, grief stricken wish. "I didn't know either of them. It's not really my call. I-I'm sorry this happened at all."

Dipper grabbed Steven's hands, distracting him from the frustrating complexity of Connie's emotions. He was shocked by the unswerving intensity in Dipper's eyes.

"YES! Thank you, Steven! We have to try! We still have all of Ford's research!" He backed up, the trees behind him framing his face against the inky sky. Steven felt the others crowd around, caught up in Dipper's fierce, pulsating hope.

"They're _not_ dead."

"They're just waiting for us to find them!"


	15. Chapter 15

_Gone._

 _Am I… gone?_

For a moment, she felt the cold heat of the portal close around her body again like the jaws of some immaterial beast. She felt a fear so keen it rang in her ears.

 _I don't want to die._

But this was a choice she'd made.

 _Who am I? I…_

She remembered.

She remembered drawing a circle out on the floor, in some kind of dark, chilly underground room. She remembered the face of a companion, face twisted into a mask of resignation. She remembered talk of bravery, of heroes. Feelings of a confusion so bitter that she wanted to cry. The elation of finally taking action.

The world was pure light, pulsing like static. The void drew in her in gently, memories being hauled in and out of her mind just the waves on the Earth beach.

 _Earth…_

Each thought was exhausting. Light and color where drained from her thoughts. It was too much. She could just be here forever. She would become the void. That's what had been decided.

 _Peridot…_

 _Peridot…?_

"PERIDOT!"

The world screamed. She could FEEL something on her wrist, but her vision had been stolen.

"Peridot, It's you! I found you! This is Ford! Come back!"

She gritted in her teeth in pain. Who?

"Agh, let go of me! Who-wha?"

She blinked. The roar of the void pulled back, but it would rush over her again in second…

She finally heard her own voice, caught in a gasp. Some huge creatures hand was clutching her wrist! She followed the length of its arm and…

"Ford!" She cried, slamming her eyes shut as memories of the human rushed into her mind. "What in the stars?!"

Ford's face floated in front of her, eyes shinning.

"We shouldn't… how are we alive?! Hehe… hahahaha!" She started to laugh, sublime joy carried on the surf of her memories. "I thought the void was going to consume me!"

She and Ford shared their awe.

 _I'm so happy to see him._

"We're HERE!" Ford announced. "I wasn't sure that I could find you… but I could sense you, out here on the fringes… this is incredible."

Peridot started to nod. "Steven described this. But I never imagined it would be like... Hey!"

Peridot noticed that the two of them where standing on solid ground now.

She watched as form snaked out of nothing, adjusting her eyes to a vibrating light in the distance. The static shifted around them, as if a wind had gusted through the air.

Ford was glaring into the distance.

"We're not alone here." He said darkly.

"Bill!" Peridot squeaked, feeling chilled by that very name.

The shape in the distance seemed almost like an Earth thunderstorm. She could feel it thundering through the unstable ground. Slowly, she became aware of a deep yellow and purple fog pulsing like a bruise on the ever-shifting horizon.

Ford tensed his shoulders. "I would imagine so."

"W-well that's easy. Let's stay as far away from that as possible." She replied.

"If we can both see that…" Ford said. "…it means that Bill's will is intensely powerful."

They both cried out in surprise as the air around them split into a geometric pattern, violently twisting around them. Peridot felt herself floating into the air, reaching out for Ford's arm and clinging to him.

They watched, overwhelmed as a huge building began to force it's way out of a desolate landscape. Bricks climbed into twisted patterns all around them, forming a maze.

Ford drew Peridot closer as contorted forms, almost like earth's trees, curled around the maze as parts bricks were tossed into the air. Eyeballs emerged from the trunks, squelching as they all snapped open at once and stared at them.

"W-what is this?" She muttered. "This is disgusting!"

Those eyes glowed with the very same malice as Bill Ciphers.

The ground screamed, and hundreds of thin black hands burst through the trees, the maze, the eyes. They grasped frantically, overwhelming her and Ford. Peridot was paralyzed with shock as the ball of hands lifted them up into the air, forming a kind of squirming trunk around them. But she felt the tug of Ford's hand, and didn't let go.

"SO GLAD YOU DECIDED TO JOIN ME!"

A huge voice reverberated through her head. Out of the shadows, a massive single eye popped open, spreading a sickly yellow light over both human and gem.

"YOU'LL BE BEGGING FOR THE VOID IN A SECOND. I BET YOU'RE REAL HAPPY YOU GOT PULLED OUT OF IT, EH, CORN CHIP?"

Peridot felt that cold fear take hold of her again. True, _mortal_ terror. So THIS was the thing that had controlled Steven's body. It was worse than she could have imagined.

Ford, much to her amazement, was yelling out.

"It was worth it to put you away, Bill! You're finished!"

Ford was insane. Yet the sight of his defiance ignited hope within her. Was there something they could hope to do against this monster? Did Ford have yet another hidden plan?

"WOW, WHAT A _HEROIC_ SACRIFICE! I'M MOVED!"

Bill's voice oozed with sarcasm.

Ford snarled right back at Bill. "You thought you could control the void, didn't you?!"

Bill furrowed his single brow.

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I'M _NOT_ CONTROLLING THE VOID?"

"Look at it!" Ford was almost laughing. "Everything breaks apart the moment you stop focusing! You CAN'T control the void, Bill Cipher! No more than we can!"

Peridot turned to Ford, mouth hanging open.

 _Even now, he wants to fight. He'll give up when he's dead._

"WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT, PINES!"

The air was alive with Bill's anger. His single pupil had shrunk down into a dot as he loomed over them, and Peridot could feel the grip of the trunk trying to tear the life out of her body.

Peridot tugged on Fords arm.

"D-do you have any ideas?! Anything?!" She cried.

Her heart sank as she saw that Ford's expression was hopeless.

"This is my plan." He said quietly. She could hear him plainly over the roar of Bill's vengeance as it took form within the void.

"To WHAT?!" Peridot screamed back. "To shame him to death?!"

"I'm sorry, Peridot. You should have never gotten involved with this."

She buried her head into his shoulder, desperately fighting back tears.

"D-don't apologize to me, you clod! I WANTED to help!"

Bill's enraged voice finally drowned out her hearing.

"I HOPE YOU ENJOY SPENDING ENTERNITY…"

 _But I didn't want this!_

The world closed around them, suffocating her with malice.

"WITH ME!"

* * *

 _They're waiting for you._

Dipper blinked, reading the note he had written to himself days ago.

He sighed, leaning back in his chair as it gave a rusty squeak.

Penned in black ink, he'd made a bright green sticky note and stuck right into the center of his tapestry of research.

Notes and diagrams crisscrossed the mess of paper he'd tacked to the wall. It was like an evolved vision of what he'd done when he was looking for the Journals author.

Because he was STILL looking for the journals author.

 _Void Dragon? Void summons- pages 66, 867. Possible connections to occult? Alchemical symbolism – reversals, summons, recipes._

Dipper had scoured the internet, the library, and all of Ford's journals. They sat next to the portal remote, one of them half open.

He reached out for it, noticing that something was drawn on one of the later pages. Had he actually _missed_ something? His heart skipped a beat. Maybe this was it. The breakthrough he'd been waiting for!

He flipped through the book, finally catching the page he'd noticed. It wasn't quite as polished as the other pages, but it _was_ something he'd never seen before! Ford didn't fill out of the pages in Journal three… so when…

"Oh!" Dipper said aloud, and began to read.

 _The Crystal Gems_

 _Conscious, self-aware inorganic life with properties of organic life. Use a "projection" of humanoid life in order to interface with the physical world. Exceptional variety of forms and abilities, extreme durability. Use caution!_

Ford had drafted a drawing of the gem itself, detailing the gems chemical properties.

Dipper flipped the page.

 _I have made contact with a "Crystal Gem," who calls herself "Peridot."_

Ford had doodled a headshot of the gem in question, a permanent frown on her face.

 _Through my interactions with her, I have found that gems can be 1. Talented engineers 2. Hard to work with at times 3. Surprisingly friendly if a mutually beneficial relationship is encouraged._

In a much more life-like rendering, Ford had drawn Peridot, standing with a cup of coffee. Another sketch showed her leaning back in the very same chair Dipper was sitting in, feet crossed on the table, concentration on her face as she tried to read some kind of manual. One drawing showed her at work on the portal, back partially turned to Ford. The next one was a quick sketch of Peridot standing on the chair, sticking her tongue out and rudely pointing to her butt.

 _Remember! Use caution when dealing with a gem!_ was written next to this drawing.

Dipper smiled.

There was a tiny note scrawled into the corner of the page. The handwriting was painfully crude; definitely not Fords.

 _Instructon: Go to page 107._

The next note was, rather obviously:

 _Instructon: Go to page 177._

Dipper followed the "instructions." Finally, he landed on a page that had been vandalized with an extremely crude rendering of Ford Pines, eyes crossed.

 _Stop drawing me when I'm not looking CLOD!_

Neat handwriting next to this note declared:

 _Don't deface my property! I'm serious, Peridot._

Alone, in the oppressive half-light of Ford's lab, Dipper felt a melancholy sense of joy.

This wouldn't help him find a way into the void and back. It wouldn't help him rescue Ford and Peridot. But it had taught him more about them, given them all another memento to cherish.

He sighed and lowered the book, feeling overwhelmed by the sea of dead-end research on the wall. Stan disapproved, but had indulged Dipper's efforts as "a symptom of grief, but probably doomed." Even Pearl had helped a little bit. It hadn't seemed to matter.

He glanced back to the journal; to Peridot's childish drawing of Ford. Another memory, given life.

Maybe that was the best he could hope for.

He laid his face on the table next to the journal, not moving when he heard someone come in.

"Dipper?" It was his sister.

She came and set a plate of food next to him.

"You should eat. And sleep, too. Just an idea." She stood anxiously. "I wish you'd work upstairs."

Dipper lazily waved an arm. "'Better in here."

When she didn't reply, he apologized. "Sorry."

"It's ok." Mabel sighed. "If you can do it, it'll all be worth it. Hey, you should come watch reruns of "Ducktective" with me and Stan sometime!"

Mabel was being cheerful, but Dipper heard that note of sadness in her voice.

"Ok." He replied, wanting something to take his mind off of his constant failure. "That sounds great."

Mabel nodded and began walking out of the lab. "This place smells bad. Take a shower too." She grinned.

As soon as she had rounded the corner, Dipper closed his eyes. He just needed a moment of rest before he ate and continued working… maybe…

He chased solutions, equations and symbols and unanswered questions through his sleepy brain. He had to be relentless.

Suddenly he WAS running.

He raced across the earth, faster than the wind. The universe spread out before him like a map, secrets laid bare. If only he had time enough to read the whole thing! The thought of it kept him running, racing, onwards towards an invisible horizon.

Above him, there was nothing but stars.

It was like flying. The air was crackling all around him. It sounded almost like a static hiss, louder and louder until…

"AGH!" Dipper jerked his head off the table, heart pounding like thunder in his head. He had just been asleep, but the pure head rush of the dream still sparked through his body.

It was sort of familiar, a kind of de-ja-vu.

He gasped. The solution spread out before him, just the infinite map in his dream, his memory.

He could go wherever he wanted right? ANYWHERE.

So long as he was with Steven Universe.

Even the void.

He laughed.

"Why did it take me so long to figure it out!?" He laughed, sweeping his arm across the table and scattering multi-colored post it notes into the air around him.

He grabbed the portal remote, its glow illuminating his face.

He'd worked in solitude for too long. He'd been doing it all wrong.

"We just have to work together!"


	16. Chapter 16

Steven listened to the waves. They rushed back and forth, as predictable as the sunrise. Star flickered above him as he sat on the sand, where he waited patiently for the tide to reach his toes.

That seemed like all he could do these days: wait. Wait for Dipper to finish his research, wait for the gems to finish the drill. Normally, the vastness of the starry sky made him feel happy. But now, it just made him feel small. Useless. Guilty.

"Steven?"

Pearl's voice echoed down from the Beach house.

"Dipper wants to talk to you."

Steven perked up, abandoning his broody stargazing and racing back into the house to talk to Dipper.

Dipper stood in his own universe, facing the living room.

"Oh… well, that's good to hear. Be sure to take breaks. Remember to stay hydrated!" Pearl was lecturing Dipper again.

"I know, I know!" Dipper said. "STEVEN!"

Dipper's hair was messy, and bags hung under his eyes. Yet something about him was energized. His eyes were wake, even if his body wanted to sleep.

"What's up?" Steven asked, feeling Dipper's upbeat mood edge out his own sadness.

Dipper's eyes darted nervously to Pearl.

"Uh… I made some breakthroughs! I found more... stuff in the Journal. A-and can I come over?" He asked.

Pearl narrowed her eyes. "It's already past Steven's bedtime… but…"

"Pleeeaaase?" Steven begged. "It'll be nice to see Dipper. It might help me sleep..."

Dipper gave him a tiny, urgent series nods.

Pearl sighed. "Alright, Steven, if it can help you be fully rested, it's ok."

"Alright!" Dipper pushed the button to let himself through the portal, tripping over the edge and landing inside the house with a thud.

"C-mon, Steven, let's go play a game or something." Dipper declared, brushing himself off as he stood up.

"Okay..." Steven said, perturbed by Dipper's clumsiness.

Maybe Dipper really did just want to hang out? He hadn't done anything but research and experiment ever since they sealed the portal…

The two of them gathered at the foot of Steven's bed. Steven pulled out his console, thumbing through his games.

"Hmmm… we've played this one a lot…"

He noticed that Dipper was peering over the railing, to where Pearl was. It made Steven nervous.

He dropped the games and leaned close to Dipper.

"What's going on?" He whispered. "Do you REALLY want to play games right now?"

Dipper shook his head. "Shhh… play it cool until she leaves…"

"Pearl?" Steven blundered, making Dipper wince. Dipper leaned over and turned the TV on, the fuzz of static filling the room.

Soon after, Steven heard the hum of the gem's door opening. Light flooded the room and vanished.

Steven sighed with relief. "She went into her room."

He turned to Dipper, confused anxiety urging him on.

"What's going on?!" He blustered.

Dipper smiled, face lit by the glow of the screen.

"I figured it out!" He said breathlessly. Dipper stood up, opening his arms wide.

"I figured it out!" His voice rose as he repeated himself, strained by exhaustion. "It's so EASY! To rescue Ford and Peridot…"

Steven gazed at his friend, holding his breath.

"…All we have to do is FUSE!"

Steven reeled in confusion. Was it really that easy?!

"Are you sure?!" He gasped. "We could… teleport, or whatever we did before… into the void! I didn't think of that!"

Steven glowed with admiration. "That's brilliant! We have to try it!"

Dipper bounced excitedly. "All right, let's do it!" He held out his hand for a high five.

Steven returned it, but nothing happened.

"Uh…" Dipper looked a bit embarrassed. "D-do we actually HAVE to… to dance… for it to work? Every time? Even if we just want to fuse?"

"Of course!" Steven replied. "That's why it's called a _fusion dance_?" Steven was surprised to know something Dipper didn't.

Dipper slumped. "Ugh… Ok, how late is your arcade open?!"

"Ummm… It'll be open late tonight! Do you want to walk all the way there?! Right NOW?"

His heart pounded in his chest. The gems might object. But he couldn't ignore Dipper's fervor.

Dipper nodded. "Let's go."

Everything was suddenly in focus. His goal was laid bare before him.

He was done waiting.

* * *

Dipper blinked as his eyes adjusted to the artificial light of the arcade.

"Finally!" He sighed, shaking sand out of his shoes. "We're here!"

He and Steven hastened their pace. They rushed to the center of the arcade, where the Dance Dance game should be waiting…

"Ohhh no!" Steven actually fell to the ground, hands on the floor.

"It's gone." Dipper stammered.

The two-player machine was covered with yellow tape.

OUT OF ORDER

"Ugh!" Dipper snarled, already turning around. "I guess we have to use the one in Gravity Falls…"

"Ohhh no…" Steven stretched out his body, reaching for the machine. "We have to walk all the way back-ack…"

"Hey, isn't that… Dipper? Hello?"

It was the blonde Donut shop lady, shadowed by the guy she worked with. Dipper was caught off guard, his angry exit cut short.

The taller guy narrowed his eyes at Dipper. "Why do you keep coming here? To Beach City?"

"UGH, that's not important." Dipper tried to shrug them off. "Steven, let's go…"

He walked over to his friend and grabbed his hand, trying to haul him up.

"Dipper…" Steven muttered. "Let's just try it WITHOUT the game. All we need is music! And rhythm! And PASSION!"

"Uhhh…" Dipper glanced nervously at their audience. "That won't work though, you said so…"

"Forget what I said!" Steven hopped up, puffing out his cheeks. "Let's try it! I don't want to wait anymore! I-I hate sitting around and waiting!"

Dipper was moved by Steven's intensity, and he felt himself in complete agreement, even if he wished they could find a better location for their… fusion dance.

"Let's go home and find some music, then." Dipper said, but Steven had yanked his phone out of his pocket.

"Here, umm… what do you want? No, too classical… no way, that one is so overexposed…"

Dipper glanced nervously around the arcade. It was almost empty, and the pair that had blocked his way had vanished.

Dipper closed his eyes. He had to go all in for this. He wanted to rescue Ford and Peridot more than anything else right now.

"BABBA." He said.

"Do you still have those .mp3's I gave you?"

Steven's eyes lit up. "I do! That's perfect!"

Steven set his phone on the Dance pad, and they stood in front of the darkened machine. The music started slow, but Dipper's heart was racing.

"Ok… Okay… Let's do this…" He tried to talk himself into the groove, bouncing up and down hesitantly.

He gasped as Steven grabbed his arms.

"Like this." He instructed. "Pretend it's like the dance game, but… free form!"

Dipper watched Steven's feet, trying to follow along.

"There you go! Great!"

Steven let go of his hands, and Dipper closed his eyes. He knew every word of this song… it reminded him of staying up late with Mabel, of the smell of the forest, the promise of mystery and excitement and even romance! It like the anthem of his crazy summer.

He opened his eyes, watching Steven flail about with a bit more grace than he imagined he himself was mustering up. Steven, too, was part that crazy summer.

He couldn't let it end a low note!

He swayed in sync with Steven, starting to sing along with him.

"… feel the beat… of the tangerine, OH YEAH!" Steven cried.

Dipper started cracking up, still failing his limbs.

"Isn't it "tambourine?" Like the instrument?" He laughed.

Steven flushed with embarrassment. "Are you serious!? Well, it sounded like "tangerine" to me!"

Dipper held out his hand for high five. He felt the tension of their energy rise, disharmonious and awkward as it was.

Steven meet his palm with a clap, and Dipper felt that energy flow over his body. It came as less of a shock than the first time, but it was still…

He felt his thoughts bleed into the new consciousness.

 _It's still kind of like time slows down for a minute, right?!_

 _Right!_

He took a deep breath, relishing in how tall he was now. He could feel the flow of air from the open doorway, yearning to be under the open sky again.

He suddenly sensed that someone was watching him. He glanced behind him, where Lars and Sadie stood in shock.

"Y-you win this time." Lars wheezed.

He watched as Lars numbly pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to Sadie, who was so distracted she promptly dropped it onto the floor.

He shrugged. It didn't matter anymore, what those people thought of him. He had more important worries now.

"Hey!" Sadie called out to him, holding her hands together nervously. "What's your name?"

 _Good question._

 _What is our name?_

"Umm..." He rocked on his heels, unsure of how to reply.

 _Steven plus Dipper... Deven?_

 _Ehh... sounds too... preppy?_

 _Stipper?_

 _Um..._

"Stepper!" He snapped his fingers in Sadie's direction. "My name's Stepper."

 _Cool! We named ourselves!_

"Uhh..." Lars stumbled forward. "What're you... doing... here... Stepper?"

"Oh! Right!" Stepper said. "I shouldn't be here. I'm on a rescue mission. I'll, uh, see you guys later."

 _We can do it now! We can rescue them!_

He left the arcade behind, turning into a straightway not dissimilar to the one he'd run along before. Only this time the air smelled of the ocean, and the skyline wasn't crowded by the tops of pine trees. This was only one place he could belong to.

 _We just need to think about the void… right?_

 _Uh… right._

He started to run, feeling that same cosmic energy course through his body. This time he stayed more aware, glancing down at his arms to see that bluish light was curling along his tattoos, reaching down his arm and around his hands.

"Yeah! You go!" Somebody called out behind him, urging him onward.

 _We DO glow!_

He ran, gaining speed and fixating on the distant ocean horizon. He thought of the emptiness of the void, the shifting patterns of black and white, the vastness that consumed the body and mind…

 _Don't be afraid!_

 _I'm not!_

Power sang through him. He could feel the void reaching into his mind, lapping at his memories…

 _I am! I am afraid!_

 _But I want to save them! I have to be a hero!_

He was flying.

And then he crashed headfirst into a wall.

 _The seal!_

He pressed against it. He had to get past it to reach the void. It was a simple obstacle.

He saw Ford with a fresh admiration, in awe of the journals author. He felt himself draw closer to him, learning and working alongside him. A relative, a teacher, a friend.

And then he remembered Peridot, and how much he'd wanted to make friends with her, from the very beginning. The trust that was formed, shattered and healed; his optimism about the troubled gem affirmed again and again as she overcame adversity and learned to care about a planet she'd intended to destroy.

He was so close to both of them. He felt the loss of each so deeply that it almost overwhelmed both of them, as one.

 _I want to save them!_

Raw energy danced around him like lightning. He forced it all into the wall that was blocking his way, honing it using sheer will. Great pulses of energy rushed along the once smooth surface of the seal.

There was an explosion.

It shuddered outward, its energy signature so bright that he was blinded. He felt himself hurtle forward, forced downward by something far stronger than gravity. His ears rang with the force of the explosion, and he could feel the markings on his body burn like fire as he hurtled into a space that was neither up nor down.

Exhilaration turned to terror.

 _NO! We can't lose the fusion now!_

He clung again to the singular desire to see the people had lost.

He held out his arm, clinging to a single thought.

 _STOP!_

The blue glow on his body turned to white as he loosed a massive burst of energy. His chest burned like he had been running for too long, and the pain spiraled out from his heart and into the rest of his body.

 _I could die._

He opened his eyes, finding himself floating into a vast space that hummed like white noise.

 _This is it! The void!_

But it hummed too loudly. He could sense another presence in the space, overflowing with power. It was ugly, purple hinted with yellow. Like a bruise.

His body was too exhausted to move. He let himself float gently, watching as the ugliness poured into the space like liquid. It began to take on physical form, warping into some kind of manic castle… eyes and limbs, everywhere, merging into walls and trees and screaming like heavy winds.

"WHAT THE? ARE YOU _KIDDING_ ME?"

He floated backwards as a big yellow eye snapped open in front of him.

 _Bill Cipher!_

"YOU LITTLE IDIOTS! HAHA!"

"YOU JUST BROKE ME OUT OF JAIL!"

He winced as he was buffeted by some kind of gale. Bill's body consumed the sky, and he placed a thoughtful finger to his bowtie.

"NOW I CAN LEAVE THIS PLACE WHENEVER I WANT! LOOK AT HOW LUCKY I AM! HAHAHA!"

Bill leaned closer, swallowing Stepper's field of view.

"BUT… I'M KIND OF CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO, YOU FREAK OF NATURE!"

Stepper clenched his fists, fresh energy flowing into him.

 _I hate you._

He gasped as a writhing black form exploded from the space in front of him.

"FORD! PERIDOT!"

He cried out as he glimpsed the two of them, ensnared by the bowels of this tree like form. They lay limply, but light rushed into their glazed eyes as they saw what was in front of them.

"Who? Wha?"

As he reached out for them, heart exploding with desperation, they rushed away from him into the horizon. The tree seemed literal miles away in an instant.

The air continued to shimmer. A bight yellow glow began as a formless shape between him and the tree, but quickly morphed into something massive and terrible.

Bill's laughter shattered the air as a monster materialized out of the void. A twisted skeleton was swiftly coated with flesh and muscle, and finally a thick skin patterned like bricks.

 _It's a void dragon._

 _I dunno… kind of has a lot of arms for a dragon…_

The beast roared, maw like a black hole. A single eye glided over it's skin like a bubble along the surface of the water. It was horrifying.

 _I'm ready._

 _Me too._

 _Let's go._

He was exhausted. He could feel two parts of himself pulling away from each other out of necessity.

But he had to beat this dragon and save his family. He HAD to!

"RRRAAAGGGHHHH!" He screamed, louder even than Bill's laughter.

He did the only thing he could think of. He clenched his fist, focused all of his energy, and aimed a punch at the massive beast that was rapidly streaking towards them.

The air glowed blue as he pulled back his arm, the rush of energy now painful as it surged through his body.

The monster raised a single arm, bringing down on the fusion with unreal speed.

It smacked them right out of the air.

It hurt. He felt his clenched fist go limp as his body was tossed effortlessly through the void. Body and mind felt like they were shattering into pieces, scattering like broken glass.

 _I'm sorry… I can't hold on any more… i'm so sorry..._

 _It's ok, me neither. We really tried. It's ok. You can let go, Dipper._

 _Thanks, Steven._

They let go.


	17. Chapter 17

Everything was suffering.

It was eternal, so complete, that it equated to nothing. All she could hear was Bill's manic voice, feel the assault of his anger as it took on a nameless forms. Terrifying. Timeless.

And suddenly a huge force jolted through her body. Like something had shattered.

"FORD! PERDIOT!"

Someone called her name. The voice was familiar.

She tried to focus. Who's voice was that, anyway? Why did it make her feel so sad?

Somebody floated in front of her. It looked like some kind of young human, wearing a goofy hat with a confused look on his sweaty face. Something about him glowed blue.

She gasped, torn away from this newcomer as she was jolted awake.

She saw Ford next to her, caught in some horrible snare. Her own body was also half eaten by some awful thing… it looked like an earth tree…

She remembered.

"ARGH!" She struggled, pulling against her restraints. To her surprise, they began to crumple away as she clawed at them.

"What's going on?" She called to Ford, helping him break his body free. "Ford! FORD!"

"Hmmm?" The human muttered, then grit his teeth. "AHHHH! Peridot! Who... where's Bill?"

"I don't know!" Peridot cried, hoping she would never have to see that triangle again.

Ford's gaze was drawn outward, and he pointed a space some distance in front of them.

"That's drawing his attention!"

It was some kind of monster, and it was loud. Peridot watched as it swatted a glowing blue figure out the air. It was the same stranger from earlier!

"Let's get closer!" She cried, grabbing Ford's hand. To her surprise, the two of them surged forward, right into the heat of the battle.

Ford looked as surprised as she felt.

"Wow. Who _is_ that?!"

Ford was giving his head a confused shake. "I... don't they look familiar?"

The newcomer was floating belly up in the air, light flickering weakly across his skin.

"They look kinda dead." She answered.

Then they watched the blue light separate into two separate beings.

It was Steven and Dipper.

Shock overwhelmed her as she watched the human and human-hybrid appear right in front of them.

"Steven! Dipper!" She and Ford called out in unison.

But the kids didn't reply. They floated, unconscious. Peridot was swamped with terror.

 _How is that possible?!_

"This can't be…" Ford muttered, echoing her sentiment.

"HEY! HOW'D YOU TWO GET OVER HERE?"

The pair of them floated in front of their would-be rescuers as Bill Cipher turned his attention to them.

 _Great._

"WHATEVER. LOOK HOW WEAK THEY ARE! A ONE-HIT KO! HAHAHA!"

"Shut up!" Peridot howled, her temper snapping. "How do you think they GOT here? They broke the barrier when YOU couldn't!"

She felt a gust of Bill's anger and immediately regretted her temper.

"ARGH!" She reached out for Ford as something grabbed hold of her, tossing her into a brick floor. She could feel Bill continuing to loom over her as she lay there, smarting from the blow. Ford was calling her name.

"LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN DO BETTER THEN, YOU STALE LITTLE CORN CHIP!"

She rolled over and held cowered. "I can't!"

She pointed up at Bill's all-encompassing eyeball.

"I wasn't trying! That's not the point! T-the point is that you're weaker than a little human and his half-gem friend!"

 _What is wrong with me? I'm no better than Ford!_

Bill was going to kill them. And probably keep killing them, over and over. Her, Ford, Dipper, and even Steven. He would torture them without end.

She waited to meet her end at the giant end of an angry floating triangle.

But it never came.

"WHAAAT?"

She opened her eyes, watching in amazement as Ford, tiny next to Bill's exaggerated form, uppercut him right in the eyeball with a massive force. Bill's body shrunk down to it's normal size, and he roared with surprise.

"Whoooaaaaa." She breathed.

"PERIDOT!" Ford's voice echoed through the void, impossibly loud. "He can't focus on _two things at once_! Use your own will to-"

Bill's dragon lurched out of the void, grabbing Ford in its terrible jaws. Peridot's heart raced.

 _I won't let him die._

She balled her fists. Should she just-

 _No way! Remember how you fought before!_

"Right! I've got your back, Ford!" She screamed, getting to her feet… and standing up to her full height!

"Hehehhe! YES!"

She had her limb enchanters again! They felt just like her old ones… such a comfortable fit… She laughed, enjoying that old thrill of power.

"HEY! UGLY!" She began to load up an electrical charge between her fingers. Energy coursed through her body. She felt so much _control_.

She fired.

A ridiculously large blast roared through the air. She grinned with glee as it struck Bill, causing the dragon that was mauling Ford to fall away.

Bill screamed with rage, and she gasped as she felt her power stripped away by a malevolent squall. Bill's eye appeared through a purple dust cloud, and his clawed fist raised up to snatch her…

"NOPE!"

Some kind of laser struck Bill's back. He whipped around to face Ford, who floated with a crude weapon pointed at Bill. Now Bill was reaching for Ford, but Peridot could feel the next step in this dance.

They were getting a rhythm going.

She floated forward and kicked out viciously with the same foot she had once sacrificed to keep herself from the gems.

It stuck Bill with a rounding thud. He shrieked, shriller than a corrupted gem.

The triangle turned around again, but Ford already had the rhythm memorized.

With a loud crack, he smacked Bill with the muzzle of his weapon.

"AUUUUGGGGGRRRRGHHHHHHHHH!"

He turned around again, but Peridot now punched him full on, feeling the blow shudder through her shoulder even as she nearly lost her balance in the process.

The air sparked with Bill's fury. She was almost choking on it.

"YOU PATHETIC IDIOTS! ENJOY BECOMING NOTHING! _NOTHING_!"

There was flash, and bill Cipher was gone from the void.

Peridot let her limb enhancers fall away as she relaxed. Bill's messy world; the grasping hands and searching eyes, faded away like morning mist in the sunlight. The nightmare was over.

She and Ford floated towards each other, sharing in the awe of their victory.

"We did it." Ford said slowly. "We beat him. Bill Cipher."

"W-we did!" Peridot echoed. "We prove we are the superior life forms, once again! Hahaha!"

Ford reached out his hand and grabbed hers with a smack, and they floated in a circle, hooting with raw joy.

Ford was still raving. "He couldn't fight both of us. Ah, that was awesome!"

Peridot flashed a fierce smile, giving Ford a thumbs up.

"Our synergy was amazing. Flawless!" She said "That was…"

 _Kind of like fusion._

"… really amazing, haha." She laughed, not wanting to admit her thoughts aloud.

"Oh!" Ford cried. "The kids!"

She and Ford exchanged a panicked glance, then clumsily reached forward as they sought out Steven and Dipper.

They found them, floating not far away. Peridot's heart sank as she saw how faint their forms had become.

Peridot grabbed Steven's ankle, yanking him closer.

"Steven?!" She stammered. "How in the stars did you get here?! Are you OK?! Hey! He's still alive right? Ford?!"

She turned to the human, who was holding Dipper in his arms.

"Is he…alive?! Is there a way I can tell?" She asked frantically.

Ford nodded quickly. "Put your hand to his chest. You should be able to feel his heartbeat."

Peridot narrowed her eyes.

"That sounds… whatever, ok."

Carefully she set her hand on the center of Steven's body.

"His gem doesn't make any noise. I don't think it should…?"

"His CHEST." Ford clarified, and Peridot quickly lifted her hand to the right spot.

"I…"

She was about to make a retort, but gasped as she felt a gentle thumping within Steven's body.

"Wow." She said softly. "So… this means he's alive?"

"Yes." Ford replied. "Dipper has a pulse too! I think they just pushed themselves too far."

For a second, she allowed herself the indulgence of hugging Steven. She thought she'd never get to see him again, for sure. But here he was.

She looked to Ford, apprehension filling her chest.

"What have these kids done?" Ford said slowly.

Ford floated closer to her, tucking Dipper under his arm.

Peridot awkwardly held onto Steven's hand, letting him float a few inches from her while staying connected.

"They must have spent so much energy to get here… I've never HEARD of a fusion that could do something like THIS!" She said.

Ford's voice was heavy. "They are two different species, from two completely different universes. The possibilities… they're endless! Haha!" He laughed, sounding impressed.

"They thought they could use it to SAVE us! Stupid, stupid kids!"

Peridot watched Steven's hair lift up and down as his unconscious body floated inches from her. Sentimental sadness crept up on her.

"I'm not really surprised." She whispered.

"Honestly!" Ford cried. "We don't deserve them."

"This means that Bill got free." Peridot sighed, thoughts beginning to race."All of out sacrifice has been for NOTHING! And now these two are going to disappear with us! This is so stupid! AGGGH! I wish I'd never been sent to that stupid planet!"

Despite how hard they had fought, they might end up vanishing anyway. All of them. She held Steven out, yelling at him.

"I wish I'd never met YOU! This is the WORST thing to ever happen to me!"

Ford floated over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She jerked away, hissing softly.

"Let's try to think of something."

"Are you kidding?!" She seethed, feeling exhausted. "W-what could we POSSIBLY do?! You said yourself-"

"I know!" Ford said. "I know. But if these kids could get all the way here… if they wanted to save us THAT badly… there IS a way out! The seal is gone, after all."

"How'd BILL get out so easily?" She wondered.

Ford shrugged. "He's made of energy. Without the energy shield blocking his exit, I imagine it was a normal affair for him to leave. Getting here is usually the hard part…"

Peridot looked back to Steven.

"Hey…" She said softly, noticing that her time keeping device was strapped to his arm. She unlatched it, nearly letting it float out of her fingers as it began to fade, vanishing like shadows in the heavy twilight of Gravity Falls forest.

She grabbed it tighter, remembering how Dipper had taught her how to operate it. The object hadn't been worth what Stan had tried to make her do for it… but she admired it's delicate craftsmanship. And it had given her something to leave behind for Steven.

Something he could remember her by.

She saw the watch solidify in her grasp.

"Ford!" She screamed, smacked with a revelation. She swirled around, interrupting the human as he continued to think aloud.

"FORD!" She lurched over to him, yanking on his coat.

"It's MEMORIES! That's… hehehe… that's IT!" She looked Ford right in the eye as it all came together flawlessly in her mind, the pieces fitting together like gears in a machine.

"This place doesn't exist because it feeds on memory! It has to do with more than just will." Her thoughts rushed out just as she processed them. "And Bill utilized MEMORIES to get here! And we even used our memories to fight here. And…"

Ford was nodding, and the awe in his expression made Perdiot flush with pride.

"… Steven and Dipper used their memories of home to get back!" Ford broke into a relived laugh. "You're right!"

"Yeah! Haha…"

There was a moment of silence as they let this idea sink in.

"So… what should we do then…" Peridot stammered, unable to find a practical use for her theory.

"Hmmm…" Ford mused. "Let's talk about home! That'll bring us closer to it!"

Peridot screwed up her face. "Ugh… you mean talk about our lives? Like… a conversation?"

Ford laughed, and he seemed honestly happy.

"Yes, just like that! Peridot, tell me, how did you get to Earth? The full story. In detail!"

She blushed. "Are you kidding? You… you think you can trick me into telling you more stuff for your book! How bout I ask you how YOU got to Earth!?"

Ford readjusted Dipper's body under his arm, and actually replied to her retort.

"Well, I born, just like every other human on earth… totally normal baby, except for the fact that I've got six fingers instead of five…"

Peridot floated closer, examining Ford's hand. "Hmmm… this escaped my notice. All humans have the same number of fingers then… hehe, back on homeworld we called these…"

She gestured to her own digits. "Touch stumps. That does seem pretty stupid now, I admit. No wonder Amethyst thought it was funny."

"No…" Ford said. "It's fascinating! Even as you and I can communicate in English, some of the vocabulary is still different. I've always wanted to meet an alien. This situation might be terrible, but… I'm glad I met you."

He gave a genuine smile, weary but content. Peridot looked away, feeling herself blush again. "I've meet more humans than I ever cared to, thanks."

"Peridot… I think you can go back home this way." Ford said suddenly, tone becoming serious.

Peridot smarted with annoyance. "Well of course, I'm the one who _came up_ with that idea." What did he even mean?

Ford gestured with his free arm. "You don't have to go back to Earth… if you remember your homeworld, there's no reason you can't materialize there instead."

 _Is he stupid?!_

"NO WAY!" Peridot cried. "A-are you crazy!? I'm like… a criminal! A fugitive! A TRAITOR! I-I could never go back there… even if I WANTED to!"

"Really?" Ford seemed surprised, much to Peridot's frustration. "I didn't know it was like that between you and the homeworld."

Peridot shuddered. "It definitely is. No, I gotta go back to my- I mean, THAT useless clod of a planet."

"Well, my universe is definitely the only place I want to be." Ford said confidently. "I'm glad I have fresh memories of home."

Peridot couldn't help but be intrigued by his tone. "You got lost in another universe, right, right…. Ummm… how was that?" She asked awkwardly.

"Terrible." Ford replied curtly. "I survived. But it is, or was, good to be home. With my family."

"Family…" Peridot wondered aloud, trying to figure her way around that word without sounding ridiculous. Did she have anything that equated to a human family?

A disgruntled "Humpft." was all she could manage.

She turned to Ford, detecting uncomfortable silence again.

"Whoa!" She cried, suddenly aware that her companion was vanishing. "Hey! Stop that! You can't-" Panic rose into her chest.

This wasn't what was meant to happen!

"It's ok!" Ford called. His eyes looked past her, reflecting something she couldn't see. "It's working!"

 _Memories?!_

"I'm going back with Dipper! I can see it! I'm-"

Peridot reached out a short arm, holding unto Steven with one and grasping for Ford with the other as he faded to nothing.

"Wait!" she howled, desperate to not be left alone. "How are you doing that?! I can't see anything but the void! Don't leave me alone! Ford!"

Ford's voice was growing as distant as his physical form. "Think about the people you want to see! You'll get there!"

Her hand grasped open air, and she grit her teeth.

Ford had gone back before her! Her pride smarted, as if he had beaten her.

"The people you want to see again?! Pfft!" She crossed her arms, Steven bumping into her as she floated crossly through the void.

"I wanted to see you again." She said aloud, holding Steven up and wishing that he would open his eyes. "But you're _here_ …"

She felt a sudden jolt of emotion. Steven had a "family!" He had plenty of people he wanted to see again. If she let him down here…

 _Never!_

She squeezed her eyes shut, reflecting on the blur that constituted her time on earth.

She tried to remember. The crystal gems… she'd wanted to see them shattered, but now they were the closest allies she had. Everything about her life had changed.

She felt the most visceral memories shift to the surface of her mind. The heat of her robot battle with Pearl. Amethysts big goofy smile. The warmth of starlight as she sat with Garnet under the night sky. And Steven, of course, who had used his crude earth ways to try and make her feel comfortable.

She sighed, feeling as if she was resting next to that stupid barn under a blue sky, the sound of Steven's little instrument floating through the air. She felt herself sneaking a mental break from her work, focusing inward. It was a bizarre way to feel. And she liked it.

Maybe she would never have a real family, like Ford did. But it seemed that, by all accounts, she had some very reliable allies. And she wanted to see them again. She had been so bitter to leave the world for the void.

A slight breeze ruffled her hair, and the air smelled crisp.

She opened her eyes and found herself sitting next to the barn, in Beach City, planet Earth. Steven was resting next to her. There was gravity, and light… and memory.

She stood and threw her hands to the sky, laughing hoarsely. She never thought she'd be this joyful to find herself back on Earth!

"Too easy!" She yelled.

A moan made her spin around. Steven was struggling to his feet, arms shaking as he tried to get up.

"Steven!" Peridot raced over to him, surprising herself as she lifted him into a massive hug. "Are you ok?!"

"Peridot…" he said, eyes glowing with happiness. "Peridot, we found you… we found you…" He made a pathetic choking noise, huge tears rushing down his cheeks.

"Y-yeah!" She laughed, feeling the uncomfortably familiar sensation of tears in her own eyes. "You found Ford too. You and your human friend. As if you you'd let us sacrifice ourselves, huh?! You're crazy, Steven. You're amazing."

She'd never felt this kind of ache in her entire existence. She cared so much that it hurt.

"We're home." She sighed. "We're home."


	18. Chapter 18

_Am I… home?_

Dipper's head pounded as a familiar shack faded into view. He felt strong arms lift him up, the embrace of a hug.

"Hmmm?" He muttered, slowly recognizing the voices of Mabel, Stan, and…

"Ford!"

His he felt his chest pinch with the shock of seeing Ford standing right in front of him, very much alive. Mabel had him griped in a tight side hug, and Stan was standing next to his brother with a smile on his face. He stood with his family in the living room.

"You're ok?! Is this a dream? Wh- Where's Steven?! Peridot?" The words tumbled out of his mouth.

Ford nodded. "Thanks to you, kid, those two got home as well, I'm sure."

Dipper stood up, the world spinning as Mabel refused to let go.

"You did it, Dipper!" Mabel cried. "I have no idea how, but you saved Ford!"

"WE, actually." Dipper replied. "Me and Steven."

Stan shook his head. "Well, good job kid…"

Dipper blinked, still in shock. It was as if he had wished for Ford's return, and here he was. He remembered the rush of the fusion, and a lot of pain, but after that…

"Haha. Wow." He swayed, but his family rushed over, steadying him. They stood in a huddle, Mabel and Stan sniffling quietly.

"I-is Steven really ok? Is every-"

"I think so…" Ford said. "Everything seems to be fine."

Dipper's mind was clouded with emotion, but he couldn't help but notice the trepidation in his gruncle's voice.

"Are you sure?" He said.

Ford frowned. "Considering the massive disturbances created by the seal's destruction, AND our fight with Bill, there-"

Dipper's heart sank into his gut as he realized what Ford was implying.

"The void!" He gasped, pulling away from his family in a panic.

Had he and Steven's rescue efforts endangered their home universes?!

"Oh no… It's…"

"Calm down, Dipper!" Ford spoke in a commanding voice. "I don't understand how, but… there is no evidence of void dragons manifesting here."

Dipper blinked. "Huh? Why?"

Mabel threw up her arms. "Nobody knows!" She said, lowering her voice to a serious growl. "Not even Ford!"

Ford was nodding. "It's like a miracle…"

Dipper could feel his mind working itself into a frenzy again, confusion and guilt muddying up his perception. If this was a problem he'd created, then he would have to fix it.

"Dipper, it's ok." Stan growled. "Nothing weird is happening. At least, for now. Something weird is bound to happen in a few days or so."

"You've worked hard enough." Ford announced. "Just rest."

Dipper plopped unto the floor, letting his exhaustion take hold of his body.

He smiled wearily, wishing he could believe that everything, in the end, really would be ok.

"I guess I can try. B-but… let's check on Steven's Universe."

"Great idea!" Mabel cried.

Dipper tried to stand up, suddenly overwhelmed with dizziness. He left Ford lift him up, taking a moment to catch his balance.

The group meandered down into the attic, where the portal remotes waited.

"Dipper, you can have the honor." Ford said, handing him the device.

"Cool." Dipper said. "Here goes."

He could feel his head pounding as he pressed his finger down on the button. He anticipated that slight hum, the flash of light.

Nothing happened.

"Ummm… Dipper, press it, would ya?" Mabel sounded annoyed.

"I did!" He cried. He clicked it again, and again. "Nothing's happening!"

"What the heck!" Mable huffed. "It's BROKEN?!"

Dipper let the remote slip out of his hand as Ford lifted it out of his grasp. He quickly popped open the cover, examining the contents.

"Hmmmm…." Ford mumused. "Mmm…"

The tension in the air was palpable.

"WELL?" Stan demanded. "Can you fix it?!"

"Ahhh!" Ford suddenly yelled. "Here it is. The crystal that drives the quantum fluctuation is completely fried. It must have been destroyed by the immense release of quantum energy when the seal was broken."

"But…" Dipper said, voice wavering. "Can you FIX it?"

Ford sighed. "I don't think so."

Mabel rushed to speak. "But there HAS to be a way! Dipper found a way to save you! And that seemed IMPOSIBLE! You're a genius! Never say never!"

Dipper stood next to his sister, in agreement. He had to know if Steven and his universe were ok.

Ford set the remote down. "Of course there could be another way. But…"

Dipper's heart sank, anticipating Ford's devastating reply.

"Maybe we shouldn't. That's what you're gonna say, isn't it?" Dipper spat.

The crowded room seemed even darker than ever. No one spoke.

"Fine." Dipper finally said.

"I understand how dangerous it is to keep the portals open. Now more than ever. Maybe…"

He sighed, feeling hopeless.

"You're right."

"Dipper!" Mabel cried, turning to him and then Ford. "What about Steven?! And Ford, aren't you friends with Peridot?! How can you think that?"

Ford nodded sadly. "I am. But somehow, I think she would prefer it to be like this."

Dipper filled the resulting silence. "It's better for both universes if they stay disconnected." He said.

"It's really unfair of us to put so much at risk just so we can stay friends." He sighed again, forcing himself to believe that this was the best action to take. His chest was heavy with regret.

"But…"

He raised his eyes, almost feverish with emotion.

"I just wish I could know, for SURE, that they they're ok!"

* * *

Peridot sat on a roof. Above her, there were stars. The sky was a rich blue color, bleeding into the darkness of the world below it.

She closed her eyes and let the wind sing through her hair. The stillness was sublime, reminding her of deep space. Yet there was life in the very air around her here, on the Earth.

A rusting drew her eyes open. She watched as Steven climbed from the attic unto the barn roof, the light from the starry sky sign highlighting his figure.

He sighed, handing Peridot a mug of coffee as he sat down next to her. She swirled the cup a bit, a habit she must have picked up from Ford. The russet colored watch Stan had given to her swayed on her wrist, its weight now familiar.

"Good work on the drill today, Peridot." Steven said. "It's basically done now, right?"

Peridot took a sip of her drink. "Of course. We've only been working on it for months."

"Ok, ok, I know, you guys are awesome." Steven brushed off her snippy comment, seeming lost in his own thoughts.

"D-do you think maybe… you can work on making another portal remote now?" Steven finally asked, giving her a pleading glance. "Since-"

Peridot grumbled. He'd been asking her to make another remote ever since they escaped the void. Without a portal device, they had no way to contact Gravity Falls unless the Falls contacted them. They hadn't heard anything from the other side since their escape.

"We gotta stop the cluster first." Peridot said firmly. "We have to focus on our OWN problems. Otherwise those humans won't have another Earth to visit."

Steven gave a dramatic sigh.

"Okaaaay. But don't you miss Ford?"

"Psh." Peridot focused on the reflection of the stars in her coffee. "No."

"Yes you doooo." Steven crowed.

Peridot was suddenly struck by a disturbing thought, and nearly spat her drink all over Steven.

 _What would prompt him to think that?_

"You haven't been listening to a my log again?! Garnet told you to leave that alone! It's PRIVATE!"

Steven continued to smile at her, making her blush.

"Nope, I haven't." He crossed his arms. "I can just tell."

"Hmpf." Peridot sizzled with embarrassment.

She suddenly stood up and headed into the barn's attic, ignoring Steven's cries of protest.

 _I gotta keep that log out of Steven's reach. Where'd did I leave that thing…?_

She reached the attic, heading for the couch where she remembered stuffing the audio recording device.

She reached her hand behind the cushions, but it came up with nothing but dust.

"Steven!" She screamed up to the roof. "You really DID run off with-"

"No I didn't!" Steven yelled back, heading down to join her. He was holding her coffee mug in his hands. "I swear, I…"

The two of them where cut off by a strange crunching noise. They froze, leaning in close. The munching continued, utterly menacing.

Something was moving behind the couch.

It cast a massive, formless shadow along the wall. Peridot noticed for the first time how an unusual green light had filled the room.

Peridot exchanged a terrified glance with Steven.

"Hello?" Steven began to whisper.

"SHHH!" Peridot hissed, and was shocked to find that her sound was much louder than her companions. She shrunk down, horrified as bleating cry answered her. The shadow twisted, falling across the counters of the room as it grew closer…

 _We gotta get outta here!_

"Run, Steven!" Peridot wailed, grabbing his hand and trying to bolt away. But he stuck to the floor, causing both of them to tumble into a heap.

"Wait." Steven said. "Look…"

A fuzzy head poked out from behind the only barrier that separated THEM from IT.

There, emerging from behind the couch, was the very same animal that had eaten Peridot's portal dust.

Its gray-brown fur sparkled with a bizarre green light. The creature's jaw where crunching rhythmically, fixed around Peridot's half-eaten audio log!

She gasped.

"You!" She snarled, but Steven held her back.

"Be gentle to it." He whispered.

 _Are you kidding?!_

"Heeeere little goat." Steven called, voice laced with sugar as he carefully got up and inched closer to the horrible beast.

"Want some coffee?" He offered her half-empty mug to the diary thief.

"BAAAAH!"

Peridot's heart exploded with relief as the goat dropped her machine to the floor with a smack, opening those jagged jaws to chomp on her mug instead.

She scrambled across the floor, snatching up the audio log and scooting away from the monster Steven was trying to befriend. Peridot rubbed the animal's spit off the device, cringing as it coated her hand.

"That's a good goat. Yeah, you're a good goat!" Steven was petting the beast as it slurped away at her coffee. The piece of hair sticking out of its butt wagged.

"No it isn't! Steven, it's a monster! That thing is from Gravity Falls, and it…"

 _Gravity Falls._

"… and how in the stars did it get HERE?" She blurted, breathing accelerating. "I-it's from the other universe!"

Steven looked over the goat' horns, eyes sparkling.

"Whooooaaa! Really?"

"Yes!" Peridot got up, being careful to keep a safe distance from the monster. "It ate my portal dust! This thing is why we couldn't get home right away!"

 _It glows green, just like the dust it ate. Maybe…_

She noticed the light around the goat growing more intense.

"It exists between universes!" She gasped, overcome with this discovery. "Quickly! We can USE this thing to communicate with Ford. And the others!"

Steven's mouth hung open. He stepped back and examined the goat, who was turning its ravenous appetite to the couch. "How? Can we… write on it, or something?"

Peridot scrambled for something to write with. She had her notes in this room; where was her writing device?!

Steven continued to speak to the beast. "...please tell the Pines that we miss them. And that we're fine! Everything's cool! But if they fix the portal remote, please let us know! Umm… this isn't gonna work…"

Peridot was on her knees, trolling the floor with her hands. Something clinked against the wooden floor. It was her watch.

Before she could finish her thoughts, Steven gasped. "The recorder! We can record a message!"

Peridot stood up, frantic. "Are you crazy? That has all my personal logs on it! Good idea, though… do you have another one?!"

Steven shrugged sheepishly. "My dad might."

The goat was glowing brighter. The air was thick with tension, the animals form vibrating in space.

Peridot clenched her fists in frustration.

 _This opportunity is going to vanish right in front of us!_

But then she felt it- on her wrist.

She lifted her hand up. Ford's watch! They _knew_ she had it… with Ford's symbols on the back and everything!

"Ahhh!"

She tugged the watch off her hand, and, holding her breath, raced over and hooked it on the monster's horns.

"Good thinking!" Steven cried, backing away as the goat answered him with a loud bleat. The glow from its fur was stinging her eyes, flooding the room with a green light.

In a single flash, it was gone.

She and Steven stood breathlessly at the suddenly empty room.

"I hope they get the message…" Steven said, sounding optimistic.

Peridot rubbed her wrist, hating how exposed it suddenly felt.

"They better."


	19. Chapter 19

Dipper Pines couldn't sleep.

He sighed, turning his head into his pillow. Exhaustion had still haunted him, even as life in the Pines household had essentially returned to normal in a few days.

He came up for air, glancing up at the desk between he and Mabel.

Steven's G.U.Y. still stood there, solemn as ever.

This time, it made him feel uneasy.

He needed to talk to Ford. He would never stop feeling uneasy until he had Ford confirm his theories.

He slowly got out of bed, careful not to wake Mabel or Waddles. He crept through the quite house, catching hints of chatter from the television set. Stan must have fallen asleep in front the TV again.

Finally, he found his way into that musty basement, ears ringing with the electrical hum of electrical equipment.

There was Ford, muttering as he stood in front of a corkboard. He was glancing back and forth between the journal and the mess of notes tacked to the board.

Dipper suddenly felt self-conscious. Perhaps he should leave well enough alone.

"Hey!"

Ford turned around, leaning back as he spotted his nephew behind him.

"What're you doin' here? You need to get more sleep, kid. Your still young."

"I know." Dipper replied flatly. "But I'm practically an insomniac now. I keep worrying-"

Ford stepped closer, setting a hand on Dipper and sitting him down in the center of the room.

"You're all about worrying, huh?" Ford sighed. "Well then, let me know what's on your mind."

Dipper fidgeted. Surely Ford knew what was bothering him?

"It's about Steven and Peridot."

Ford nodded. "I know. But-"

Dipper cut him off. "No, it's not THAT. I'm… Ford…"

He locked eyes with his grunckle, gathering his courage.

"I haven't asked you about it, but… it jus doesn't add up. When me and Steven- I mean, our fusion, us... uggh, whatever…" He shook his head clear.

"W-when we broke that seal, shouldn't it have created a disturbance in the void? And then that void would have spilled into out universes. Just like it did when Bill messed it up."

"But there's nothing." Ford finished for him.

Dipper gasped, his anxiety finally taking form.

"Right! So based on what we already know… doesn't it make sense that the void dragons ended up all in STEVEN'S universe instead?! What if Steven's universe is gone?" He swallowed, feeling a lump his throat. "What if it's been swallowed by the void?"

Ford's square jaw melted into a frown, making Dipper's chest clench.

"It is a possibility, yes. But!"

Ford held up a finger before Dipper could protest.

"You see these calculations?"

Ford pointed to the board.

"I've been studying the energy released by the broken seal… so far, my research indicates that this event was so powerful that it shifted the entire multiverse."

"Wow…" Dipper breathed, searching over the complex equations.

 _We did THAT?_

Dipper raced to keep up. "So… what does that mean, exactly? That we can't go to Steven's Universe ever again? Or…"

Ford shook his head, standing up, clearly gripped by the passion of his studies. Dipper was overcome with uncertainty.

Ford's confident voice soothed him. "The void could been dissipated by the heat of seal's energy. It could have splashed into another universe entirely. Your fusion might have actually absorbed the energy. We don't know for sure. We may never know. Sometimes…"

The sickly half light in the basement flickered, cold and uneven.

"I hate to admit but… there are some mysteries you shouldn't try to solve."

Dipper felt his mind twist with confusion. What was Ford even trying to say? He was distracted by some kind of stomping upstairs.

"Okay…" he answered miserably. "So… you're NOT working on a way to fix the portal? Haha… me and Mabel really hoped that you had been."

Ford smiled sadly.

"We agreed to leave it broken."

"And Dipper…"

"Yeah?"

"Regardless of what happened, or if it was the "right" choice… I'm still happy that you spared me and Peridot from an eternity of suffering with Bill Cipher."

Dipper's whole body was slumping from Ford's earlier conversation, but he tried to let this help him feel better.

"Thanks, Ford." He muttered.

Silence hung in the air, but the commotion upstairs was intensifying.

"What _is_ that?" Ford wondered.

Dipper could hear Mablel's shrill voice competing with Stan's guttural yells.

"Are they ok?" Dipper blustered, suddenly becoming concerned.

Without a word, Dipper and Ford rushed upstairs. He could hear his sister screaming for them.

"DIPPER where are you? We need your-"

"LOOK OUT!"

As Dipper rounded the corner into the living room, he suddenly had the wind knocked right out of him. He was knocked back into the wall, gasping for air.

"GOMPERS! Stop!"

Vision blinking with spots, Dipper flailed his arms and found them wrapped around the horns of an agitated goat. A hazy green light made his eyes smart, seeming to emanate from the goat itself.

"You caught him! Hold him!"

"BAAAAHHH!"

Gompers bleated pathetically, trying to throw Dipper off.

"Why?" Dipper wailed, feeling battered.

"Got it!"

Stan leapt over, snatching something off of the goats horns.

Dipper happily released the bucking goat, who took off into the living room and nearly smashed the TV.

"Omygosh! It IS the watch!" Mabel cried out with glee, grabbing for the object in Stan's hand. "THE watch!"

 _The watch?_

The group huddled, examining what Gompers had "given" to the Pines family.

Dipper's head continued to spin, but not from the goat attack.

"It's Peridot's watch!" He gasped. "What the heck?!"

Ford took the watch from Stan, turning it over.

The engraved letters on the back read:

 _Stanford Filbrick Pines_

For a moment, the group stood in stunned silence, broken only by the munching of Gompers.

"How?!" Dipper finally said. He felt something like hope.

"How did the GOAT get this?!"

Ford answered him. "The dust it ingested must have caused it to teleport from universe to universe! I…"

Ford's voice rose into an ecstatic exclamation.

"I think Peridot just gave this watch back to us!"

"Then she's' ok?!" Mabel said the words for Dipper.

Ford stood back, holding up the watch as if it was trophy.

"How else do you explain it?"

Dipper was buzzing with exhilaration.

"Then that means there IS a way to reach them! If a goat can do it, so can we!"

Mabel squealed, rushing over to Gompers. "Teach us your ways, oh wise billy goat!"

Gompers bleated, tearing off with a chunk of the couch in his mouth.

Stan narrowed his eyes.

"Is it… glowing brighter now? Is that just me?"

Dipper watched a Ford became visibly tense.

"No, it's not! Dipper, catch it again!"

"Wha-? Me?"

Stan was right, Gompers was growing greener by the second. Dipper didn't have time to get his bearings.

He watched as Mabel leapt for the goat, inches shy of its hooves. Gompers took flight, jumping into the air like a fat but majestic horse. His fur was shimmering like an emerald catching sunbeams.

And then, in a flash, he was gone.

Mabel landed flat on her face, and Dipper's heart sank.

"It's gone." He said.

"But where do you think it went?" Ford asked.

Dipper was ahead of him.

"Beach City." He answered. "Gompers must have gone to Beach City!"

Ford crossed his arms, leaning back and smiling.

"You think that watch means Steven and his green alien friend are fine and dandy?" Stan said, crossing his arms right back at his twin.

"That's my best scientific guess." Ford replied. "And my dearest hope as well. Better yet, I think that goat will be back sometime."

Dipper laughed. "Gomper's is our last link to Steven."

Mabel had somehow gotten a hold of the watch, and had put it on. She was trying to stop it from sliding underneath the huge sleeves of her nightgown.

"So who gets the watch?" She chirped. She looked back and forth from Ford to Stan.

Dipper turned away. He wasn't about to admit how much he wanted the object that was there freshest link to Steven.

Stan shrugged. "Ya know what? It's Ford watch."

Ford raised an eyebrow. "Really? You sure you don't want to put it on display?" He began to mock Stan, making huge hand gestures. "Watch from another universe! Very rare!"

Stan snorted. "I'm not taking that back. It's yours. Unless you want it, kids."

He and Mabel shared a glance. It was clear in that instant what both of them wanted.

Mabel stood on her toes, unlatching the watch and tossing it around Ford's wrist.

"Peridot would've wanted you to have it, I think." Mabel said, smiling.

She looked to Dipper, and he nodded. "I think so too."

Ford carefully locked the watch to his wrist.

"I never though I would see this again." He sighed.

Dipper let himself relax.

There was still so much uncertainty between Gravity Falls, Beach City, and the rest of the multiverse. That just seemed to be how the universes operated.

"You know…" Dipper said.

"Who knows what… or who… we might get to see again? The truth is out there, right?"

He blinked, that bittersweet nostalgia getting into his eyes as he thought about the people he might never see again. He and Steven had scarified a lot to bring Ford and Peridot back home.

But for now, he clung to the knowledge that his friends who lived across the void still existed, and hopefully, thrived.

"Reality seems like a really big place."


End file.
